A lot of time tenants face the situation where their landlords are selling their rental house. This type of scenario is tricky for the tenants as well as the landlord. The privacy of the tenants is affected as potential buyers’ stream in and out of the house, whereas it is problematic for the landlord to show their house when there are people living in it. Here are a few rules that you should know as a tenant, when your landlord has decided to sell their property.

The Landlord Has the Authority to Sell Their Property at Any Given Time

The thing is that your rental house is your landlord’s property, so they have the right to sell it whenever they want to. They have all the freedom to list the property on the market, without having to discuss it with you.

You Should Be Given 24 Hours before Any Inspection

First of all, you should have a mutual agreement with your landlord about the arrangements when it comes to inspection of the house. If you feel there are certain issues, then you should know your legal standing so that you are not placed in a compromising situation and can deny any unreasonable propositions from your landlord.

As a tenant, it is your right to get a notice at least 24 hours before the landlord let the potential buyers come and inspect the house. Other than this, it is usually seen that the inspection time is between 8am to 8pm. If your landlord wants to take some pictures of the property, then it is your right to ask the landlord to accompany the photographer. It is recommended that you do not display your valuables in front of the photographer or the potential buyers.  Remember to keep pets out of the way.

The Agreement is Valid even after the Property is Sold

Even if the property is sold, it doesn’t mean that you will have to leave the premises right away. If the landlord wants the property for themselves, they need to wait until the end of the tenancy or give 60 days notice if it is a periodic tenancy (a month to month tenancy).

You Can Make a Deal

You can ask the landlord to decrease the rent for the period they are showing their property to potential buyers, as a compensation for the inconvenience caused to you. The practice is very common, and a lot of landlords agree to this. If you feel that your cleaning costs have increased due to the open houses, then you can claim this cost too.

In Case Of A Disagreement

In case there is a disagreement and your landlord is not compensating you for the inconvenience caused, then it is a good idea to maintain a record of all exchanges between the two of you, because that can help you in making a legal claim.

Aaron Lillie