| Corporation | Partnership | Individual |
| Use by-laws from beginning | Have to wait to use by-laws | Have to wait to use by-laws |
| 10% Down Payment | 10% Down payment | No down payment by tenants. |
| Requires either two years of profit/loss statements or higher down payment for bank to approve loan | Requires significant tenant income for loan, and will operate for 2-3 years before transferring property to corporation | Will operate for 2-3 years before transferring property to corporation |
| $800/year minimum franchise tax +property tax (except public benefit corporation) | Property tax, but partners can deduct mortgage payments from income tax | Property tax |
| Corporation could form early but would have to pay yearly tax, OR form quickly upon house purchase. | Partnership forms upon house purchase with the signing of partnership agreement | Requires legal agreements for eventual transfer of property and for leasing to the tenant run corporation |
| Potentially slow to move on issues requiring quick action (eg. house purchase) | Potential personal power issues between the partners who purchased the house and other tenants. | Potential power/ownership/kinship issues might arise. |
| Tenants protected from personal liability in case of lawsuit against the collective unless they act against the best interest of the collective. | Partners personally liable in lawsuits. If nonpartner tenants participate in decisions affecting the operation of the house they may also be liable. | Individual personally liable. If tenants participate in decisions affecting the operation of the house they may also be liable. |
| Mutual Benefit Nonprofit | Public Benefit Nonprofit | Limited Equity Housing Cooperative | Limited Liability Company | Land Trust |
| Only requires that tenants not receive direct monetary gain from the corporation | At least 50-75% low income tenants, no monetary gain accruing to individuals. | Requires the collective to incorporate as a nonprofit with only tenants involved in governance, thus reducing the collective's ability to maintain continuity | Owners can be anyone, tenants or not. | |
| Real estate and franchise taxes only | Lower franchise tax only | See nonprofit corps | All taxes, profit, franchise, and real estate. | |
| Requires Aritcles/Bylaws, documentation of decision making, and annual report. | All requirements of mutual benefit nonprofit, and requires state and federal applications for tax exempt status. | See nonprofit corps | Requires Articles/Bylaws, documentation of decision making. | |
| No specific requirements for dissolution of the corporation | Corporate assets must go to a public benefit nonprofit on dissolution | Corporate assets must go to a public benefit nonprofit on dissolution | No specific requirements for dissolution | |
| No limits on individual accrual of equity | No limits on individual accrual of equity | Individuals equity in the house may increase no more than 10% per year | Difficult to limit tenants profiting on increasing house value | |
| Requires a regular corporate loan: 25% down. Other loans (eg. from existing coops) disallowed without 2 years of profit loss statements. | Many special loans/grants for public benefit nonprofits. If these are not available regular corporate loan required. | See nonprofit corps | Regular corporate loan required | |
| Since there is no low income requirement, the collective may end up being only a resource for elites. | No political organizing | Articles and Bylaws changes require a 2/3 vote |
Note: Any corporation can impose additional requirements through its bylaws and articles of incorporation, though these requirements can always be overturned by the amendment process (which must be specified in a corporation's bylaws).