Maryland Landlord Selling the House
Maryland rules on landlord selling the house for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-23.
Short answer: If the landlord sells or transfers the rental (including in receivership or bankruptcy), the landlord or the landlord's estate stays liable to the tenant and the buyer for any part of the security deposit (and required interest) that the landlord does not hand over to the new owner along… Md. Code, Real Prop. §8-203(d)(3)-(4), (i)(11)
The rules in Maryland
| If the landlord sells the property | If the landlord sells or transfers the rental (including in receivership or bankruptcy), the landlord or the landlord's estate stays liable to the tenant and the buyer for any part of the security deposit (and required interest) that the landlord does not hand over to the new owner along with an accounting showing the amount and date of the deposit, interest-rate records, and the tenant's name and last known address. Any successor owner is liable to the tenant for failing to return the deposit with interest. If the tenant used a surety bond instead of a deposit, the new landlord must accept the bond and may not demand an additional deposit during the current lease term. The section read does not address whether the lease itself continues after the sale. |
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| Tenants in foreclosure | Maryland adopts PTFA-style protections. A foreclosure buyer takes the property subject to bona fide tenants' rights and must give a 90-day notice to vacate, sent by first-class AND certified mail, return receipt requested, stating its date, the effective date and the basis. A bona fide lease generally continues to its end, unless the buyer will live there as a primary residence (then 90 days). Longer state or local protections still apply. A landlord who has received a notice of intent to foreclose may end month-to-month tenancies with 30 days' notice (60 days for year-to-year). Under § 7-105.8(c), if the sale advertisement says so, a sale may be made subject to junior tenancies, and those leases then continue with the purchaser as landlord. The shorter § 8-402(c)(4) notice doesn't apply in Baltimore City, Montgomery County, or to landlords with 5 or more units, per existing site data. |
Related questions
Maryland vs. neighboring states
| State | If the landlord sells the property | Tenants in foreclosure |
|---|---|---|
| Maryland | If the landlord sells or transfers the rental (including in receivership or bankruptcy), the landlord or the landlord's estate stays liable to the tenant and the buyer for any part of the security deposit (and required interest) that the landlord does not hand over to the new owner along with an accounting showing the amount and date of the deposit, interest-rate records, and the tenant's name and last known address. Any successor owner is liable to the tenant for failing to return the deposit with interest. If the tenant used a surety bond instead of a deposit, the new landlord must accept the bond and may not demand an additional deposit during the current lease term. Md. Code, Real Prop. §8-203(d)(3)-(4), (i)(11) | Maryland adopts PTFA-style protections. A foreclosure buyer takes the property subject to bona fide tenants' rights and must give a 90-day notice to vacate, sent by first-class AND certified mail, return receipt requested, stating its date, the effective date and the basis. A bona fide lease generally continues to its end, unless the buyer will live there as a primary residence (then 90 days). Longer state or local protections still apply. A landlord who has received a notice of intent to foreclose may end month-to-month tenancies with 30 days' notice (60 days for year-to-year). Md. Code, Real Prop. § 7-105.8(a)-(b); § 8-402(c)(4)(ii) |
| Delaware | If the landlord's interest in a rental is sold or transferred and the tenant used a surety bond instead of a cash security deposit, the new landlord must accept the tenant's surety bond and may not require an additional security deposit during the current lease term. When the lease is renewed, the new landlord may not require a bond or deposit that, together with the existing one, is more than one month's rent. 25 Del. C. § 5514A(j) | No state tenant-protection statute found in the Landlord-Tenant Code. The Code only lists, as a ground for summary possession, a tenant holding over more than 5 days after the property is sold at foreclosure and title is perfected. Federal PTFA protections (90-day notice and the right to finish a bona fide lease) govern in practice. 25 Del. C. § 5702(6); 25 Del. C. Chs. 51-57 (checked) |
| Pennsylvania | Anyone who buys rental property takes on the same duties, and gets the same rights and remedies, as the seller had (Landlord and Tenant Act § 104). Pennsylvania has no state law in the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 that sets a specific procedure for the seller to transfer the security deposit to the buyer or to notify tenants of the sale. Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 § 104; Act reviewed | No state statute found — the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 has no foreclosure or sale protections for tenants beyond the federal PTFA. Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 checked |
| Virginia | When rental property is sold, the current owner must transfer all security deposits, plus any accrued interest, to the new owner at the time of transfer. If a managing agent holds the deposits, the owner must ask for them in writing before settlement, and the agent must transfer them and give each tenant written notice that the deposit went to the new owner. The landlord must also notify the tenant of the sale and give the buyer's name, address and phone number; these duties are enforceable against any successor landlord. Va. Code §§ 55.1-1213, 55.1-1216(B), (D) | Single-family rental: the landlord must tell the tenant or prospective tenant in writing within 5 business days after receiving a lender's notice of mortgage default, acceleration or foreclosure sale; if not, the tenant may terminate on 5 business days' written notice. After a foreclosure sale, a buyer who will occupy the unit as a primary residence must give at least 90 days' written notice to vacate; any other buyer takes subject to the lease and the tenant may stay for the remaining term (subject to termination for cause or under the lease), with written notice to the tenant. Rent goes to the successor owner as directed in writing, to the managing agent, or into court escrow; the tenant is not delinquent or charged late fees until the successor names where to pay. On any sale, the landlord must disclose the purchaser's name, address and phone number. Va. Code Sec. 55.1-1237; 55.1-1216(B) |
| West Virginia | A sale does not cancel the lease: a tenant keeps the same rights under the lease's conditions, covenants and promises against the buyer that the tenant had against the original landlord, and the buyer gets the landlord's rights against the tenant. Whoever holds the landlord's interest when the tenancy ends must return any security deposit the original landlord received that is owed to the tenant, whether or not the deposit was actually transferred and regardless of any agreement between the seller and buyer. The statutes reviewed do not require a notice of sale to the tenant. W. Va. Code §§ 37-6-1, 37-6-2, 37-6A-2(e) | No state statute specifically protecting tenants in foreclosure was found; the federal PTFA (90-day notice; bona fide leases honored to term, with exceptions) applies. On a transfer of the property, the tenant keeps against the new owner the benefit of any condition, covenant or promise in the lease that it had against the original landlord (except warranty), and the new owner gets the landlord's rights under the lease. W. Va. Code §§ 37-6-1, 37-6-2 |
| District of Columbia | A sale of the building does not by itself end a tenancy: the D.C. Tenant Bill of Rights says a landlord may not evict a tenant because of a sale or foreclosure. Before selling a housing accommodation, the owner must give the tenant an opportunity to purchase it at a price and on terms that are a bona fide offer of sale (the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, or TOPA); the Tenant Bill of Rights explains that for single-family homes all tenants get notice of the intended sale but only certain elderly or disabled tenants keep a right to buy, and that many exemptions apply. The sources reviewed do not set a security-deposit transfer rule for sales. D.C. Code § 42-3404.02; D.C. Office of the Tenant Advocate, D.C. Tenant Bill of Rights (Form OTA 2026.09.25) | Foreclosure or sale is not a ground for eviction. Under the Rental Housing Act, a tenant may be evicted only for the statutory reasons and only with the required notice, and may not be evicted while paying rent, even after the lease expires. A new owner, including a foreclosure buyer, takes the property subject to the tenancy. Before an owner sells a housing accommodation, or issues a notice to vacate for demolition or discontinuance of housing use, it must give tenants an opportunity to purchase (TOPA) on bona fide terms. Tenants also have a 15-day right of first refusal after receiving a third-party sales contract. D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(a)(1); § 42-3404.02(a); § 42-3404.08 |
City rules that may add to state law
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Maryland Landlord Selling the House FAQ
What happens to my lease if my landlord sells the house in Maryland?
If the landlord sells or transfers the rental (including in receivership or bankruptcy), the landlord or the landlord's estate stays liable to the tenant and the buyer for any part of the security deposit (and required interest) that the landlord does not hand over to the new owner along with an accounting showing the amount and date of the deposit, interest-rate records, and the tenant's name and last known address. Any successor owner is liable to the tenant for failing to return the deposit with interest. If the tenant used a surety bond instead of a deposit, the new landlord must accept the bond and may not demand an additional deposit during the current lease term. (Md. Code, Real Prop. §8-203(d)(3)-(4), (i)(11))
What are tenants' rights in a foreclosure in Maryland?
Maryland adopts PTFA-style protections. A foreclosure buyer takes the property subject to bona fide tenants' rights and must give a 90-day notice to vacate, sent by first-class AND certified mail, return receipt requested, stating its date, the effective date and the basis. A bona fide lease generally continues to its end, unless the buyer will live there as a primary residence (then 90 days). Longer state or local protections still apply. A landlord who has received a notice of intent to foreclose may end month-to-month tenancies with 30 days' notice (60 days for year-to-year). (Md. Code, Real Prop. § 7-105.8(a)-(b); § 8-402(c)(4)(ii))
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.