An option fee gives a buyer time to inspect the property and ensure that safety codes are up to standard. No other homebuyers can make an offer in the ten-day window after the buyer pays the option fee. In a sandwich lease, the investor pays an option fee to the property owner. The tenant then pays an option fee to the real estate investor as a promise that they will purchase the home at the end of the lease. The option fee is non-refundable, so the tenant will not get that money back if they choose not to buy.