Sta. Lucia Land gets SEC nod for 16 rental pool deals
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved 16 rental pool deals of Sta. Lucia Land Inc. (SLI), processed under the streamlined guidelines for Securing and Expanding Capital in Real Estate Non-Traditional Securities (SEC RENT).
The Commission En Banc, in a meeting on Nov. 25, resolved to render effective the company’s 16 registration statements, which cover 2,382 certificates of participation. The approval is subject to SLI’s compliance with all remaining requirements.
The company will offer the certificates of participation at varying price points: ₱70,000 apiece for certificates in 2,101 studio units; ₱80,000 each for certificates in 150 one-bedroom units; ₱90,000 each for certificates in 121 two-bedroom units; and ₱100,000 each for certificates in 10 three-bedroom units.
The total rental pool arrangement is expected to generate gross proceeds of up to ₱60.31 million, computed based on the remaining unsold units available for pooling. The funds will be allocated for working capital and disbursed for various projects in 2025 and 2026.
Unit owners, as holders of the certificates, will be entitled to a share in the net profits earned by renting out the pooled units as hotel rooms to paying guests.
Additionally, owners are granted the personal use of the units for 30 nights per year. Fifteen of the projects under Sta. Lucia’s rental pool program have been operating since at least 2011 and are located across the country in cities and provinces including Quezon City, Baguio City, Rizal, Cavite, Batangas, Palawan, Iloilo, Cebu, and Davao.
One project in Cebu is still under construction and is slated for completion by 2027.
The SEC RENT initiative, implemented through SEC Memorandum Circular No. 12, Series of 2024, streamlines the registration process for real estate firms that offer investment contracts via rental pool agreements.
Rental pool deals are defined as investment contracts where a property developer sells units in real estate projects, such as condominiums, hotels, or resorts, to the public. Buyers contribute their units to a rental pool managed by the company or a third-party operator, and in return, receive a share of the profits generated from leasing the units to third parties.