Rent-to-own does not mean you can buy a house with no down payment. When you rent-to-own, you’re paying extra rent each month that will go toward your down payment later on. And usually, rent-to-own contracts include an option fee that’s a lot like a down payment. The option fee is smaller — think 1 percent of the purchase price instead of 3 to 20 percent — and it eventually goes toward your purchase. But it’s still a few thousand dollars you must pay upfront to secure the right to buy the home later on.