How a rooftop transaction is structured
A tower on open land usually sits on a ground lease, and the sale pairs that lease with an easement over the lease area. A rooftop site is written around the building instead. You sell the rooftop lease and the rent it produces, together with a long-term right to the space the equipment occupies and the access to it. That access is typically a section of roof, the path for cabling, and a route through the building.
The same approach applies to antennas on parapets, penthouses, and other parts of a structure.
What you keep
You continue to hold title to the building, and nothing changes on site. The tenant keeps operating under the same agreement it has today, and the rest of the roof and the building are outside the transaction.
What to plan for
- Plans for the building. If you expect to redevelop, re-roof, or sell, tell us early, because the documents should be drafted around those plans.
- Lender and partner consents. Where a mortgage or partnership agreement requires consent, we build time for it and provide the documents your lender or partners will ask to see.
- Several buildings. Owners with antenna sites across a portfolio can sell them together in one transaction with one closing.
How you are paid
The purchase price is paid in immediately available funds at closing. Where it suits your budget or tax position, the proceeds can instead be structured as a series of payments. The funds are paid to the entity on title.
Where to begin
Send the building’s location and a copy of the rooftop lease. Our page for commercial owners covers the rest, and the questionnaire takes about two minutes.