What is "tier" for land sales?

In ads for land sales I see a price and a monthly "tier." Does that mean even after I buy I have to pay rent?

Yes. If you're on an island, you pay it to the actual owner to help with their tier payment. On the mainland, you pay Linden Labs and it's considered maintenance fees. If you're Premium, you're allowed up to 512m tier-free, but ONLY on the mainland.

Some people here like to think of it as paying your taxes, but yes.

In order to buy mainland you must be premium. Paying for premium membership entitles you to 512 sq m of land tier free. Beyond that you pay incrementally more tier for additional land you buy.

**edit** here is a link to the tier schedule for mainland ownership

http://secondlife.com/whatis/landpricing.php

Simply put its is a use fee based on the amount of land held, kind of like a monthy property tax.

some Landlords charge this on top of the purchase price of land on a private island to cover their monthy expenses.

You can find the exact amout and the official description of what tier is here -

http://secure-web13.secondlife.com/whatis/landpricing.php

but u don`t have to be premium to rent on an island so u can save $10 a month and rent cheaper then on the mainland

You never 'own' anything in SL. Just like RL. Sometime you die, and someone else gets it all.

Life is just one big rental.

Thought for the day! That's awesome.

Another way to look at it is paying for the server space your virtual land, homes, prims sit on.

Char

Of course when you have a premium membership, you get about $4-5/month worth of lindens in weekly stipends. If you pay your membership annually, it's only $6/month, so that's a pretty good deal. AND you can access a higher level of support services. So that premium membership gets you a lot more than just the 512 free tier.

Tier is a fancy name for rent nothing more. You dont own the land all you do is rent it.
If you owned it you could more it to your own sever or not pay rent ie tier. Alot will whine about how you own the land but ya dont ever lol ya just rent it lol
O btw if your looking for land NEVER rent main land only rent from privet islands Dreamland has some really good deals.

Nothing is "owned" absolutely in SL, just as in RL the government may seize your real property if you neglect paying property taxes. However, there is a spectrum of ownership privileges you may select from in SL. Just realize that if you want your own land in SL, you will be paying for it.

On one hand is mainland (defined as land where tier is paid directly to LL). You must be a Premium account holder in order to purchase land on the mainland; if you stick to 512m2 or less of land, the Premium account fee is all you'll be paying. You get the best rate if you pay for a year in advance. Any land you purchase beyond 512m2 incurs additional tier fees, payable monthly; the more you own, the less you pay in tier per square meter. The advantages of buying mainland include (1) your premium membership entitles you to special support privileges, (2) you don't have to deal with a "landlord" or estate owner, just LL itself, and (3) there are no special restrictions to what you can do on your land ("no covenant," though restrictions common to all SL residents still apply). Disadvantages include (1) there are no special privileges to what you can do on your land, (2) your neighbors are all also free to do whatever they want on their land; if that involves such things as walling you in with banlines, erecting giant penises, or covering the ocean over with industrial steel, the quality of your experience may be impaired, and (3) you may not be able to sell right away if you want to cover your initial purchase price.

All other land is owned by an estate owner who is responsible to pay tier directly to LL each month. Estates are also known as "islands" or "private sims." Estate owners typically pass on their costs to you, and they further typically seek some level of profit, which you pay in monthly rent. This may be payable in L$ or via PayPal or however else the owner specifies. You may also be required to pay a lump-sum purchase price up front. Whatever obligations and privileges you incur in "renting" on an estate should be specified in a covenant attached to your land parcel. Costs end up ranging from less than you'd pay in premium fee and tier on mainland to more. Some estate owners make great efforts to terraform and build so that you may rent a ready-to-move-in home or shop in a sim that's consistently developed to reflect a theme, while others mirror the mainland's laissez-faire. Advanges to owning on a private estate include (1) a covenant which may ensure your neighbors don't get to erect ad farms, build giant penises, or laggy clubs, (2) an estate manager who may be more responsive to resident concerns than LL, (3) possibly special privileges like extra prims (provided from space the estate owner has left undeveloped), (4) the option of paying tier in L$, and (5) freedom to move around without financial penalty, as most rental agreements are weekly. Disadvantages include (1) a covenant which may restrict you from doing what you want on "your" land, including for example selling for a profit or building giant penises, and (2) an extra level of risk--the estate owner may simply evict you from your land, leaving you with no recourse (so the track record or reputation of the estate owner becomes important; many are in fact excellent).

You decide which package of ongoing costs and liberties you desire most, pay your money, and move in. Both types of land are in high demand.

Well... I'm planning to buy a boat and then liquidate my bank accounts as soon as I start to feel funny. I want a viking funeral, in a boat full of cash. It will humble my relatives and strengthen the Euro if I take some money out of recirculation.