LeaseLens2026-08-11
Most renters have never gotten a real answer to "should I buy?"
Every rent-vs-buy calculator asks the same wrong question: what can you afford? It should be asking what you already pay, and whether that money is buying you anything.
We built LeaseLens because we kept watching people in DC make a six-figure decision on a napkin. You upload your lease. It gets decoded. You see where your rent sits against live comparable listings in your building and your ZIP. Then you get a verdict, RENT or BUY, modeled from your actual income, savings, credit, and what is actually for sale near you right now.
Two things it does that nothing else does correctly:
Roommates. Rent splits three ways. A mortgage does not. Lenders qualify you on your income alone. Most people sharing a $3,000 two-bedroom think they are comparing $1,000 to a mortgage payment. They are not, and every calculator lets them believe it.
Honest comparison. The verdict compares you to homes like the one you rent, not the most expensive thing a bank would approve you for. And if your current size does not work, it tells you what does.
The math is not a vibe. The engine has been through 212,000+ measured evaluations and is honest to the dollar, including cash to close, closing costs, and the year buying actually overtakes renting.
Free tier is real value, not a teaser: lease analysis, market position, building intelligence. Pro is $20/month for the full verdict and unlimited scenarios.
Live now for DC, Arlington, and Alexandria. Richmond next.