What Counts as Commercial Property?
Not sure whether your building is commercial or residential? Here’s where the line falls — and which buyer in the family handles each kind.
The short version
Generally, a property is treated as commercial if it produces income, houses the business that owns it, or is zoned for business use. For apartments, the commercial line is usually five or more units — a 1–4 unit building is treated as residential. Mixed-use, owner-occupied storefronts, and special-use buildings (churches, restaurants, daycares) are commercial too.
The multifamily line — 5+ units
Five-plus-unit apartment buildings trade as commercial (valued on income), while 1–4 units are residential. This is the most common point of confusion.
Mixed-use, owner-occupied, and special-use
Storefront-with-apartments, the building your business runs in, and single-purpose buildings all count as commercial, each valued differently.
Who buys what (the Kentuckiana lane map)
Kentuckiana Commercial Co. buys commercial buildings and 5+ multifamily. 1–4 unit houses go to Mortgage Forfeiture; manufactured homes on owned land go to We Buy Doublewides; vacant land goes to Kentuckiana Land Co. If you’re not sure where your property fits, describe it and we’ll point you to the right place.
Commercial vs. residential — common questions
Is a 4-plex commercial?
Generally no — 1–4 units are treated as residential; 5 or more units is commercial.
Is my storefront-with-apartment commercial?
Yes — that’s mixed-use, which is commercial.
Do you buy houses or land?
No — those go to our sibling companies: houses to Mortgage Forfeiture, manufactured homes on owned land to We Buy Doublewides, and land to Kentuckiana Land Co.
Where owners go from here
Not sure your building fits?
Describe the property and we’ll tell you plainly whether it’s our lane or a sibling company’s — free, confidential, no obligation.