Massachusetts Landlord Selling the House
Massachusetts 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: A tenancy at will in a home is not ended by the owner's sale, transfer or lease of the property, or by foreclosure (G.L. c. 186, §13). G.L. c. 186, §13; G.L. c. 186, §15B(5)
The rules in Massachusetts
| If the landlord sells the property | A tenancy at will in a home is not ended by the owner's sale, transfer or lease of the property, or by foreclosure (G.L. c. 186, §13). When a landlord holding a security deposit transfers the property by sale, assignment, death, receivership or otherwise, the landlord must transfer the deposit plus accrued interest to the successor, who then becomes liable for holding and returning it. Within 45 days of the transfer, the successor must notify the tenant in writing that it holds the deposit, with names, business addresses and phone numbers. If the old landlord fails to transfer the deposit, the successor still owes it to the tenant; a successor may satisfy that duty for a tenant still in the unit by giving rent-free occupancy equal to the deposit amount (c. 186, §15B(5)). Granting a mortgage is not a transfer of interest for this purpose. |
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| Tenants in foreclosure | Strong state protections. A foreclosing owner (lender or its affiliate) may not evict a tenant except for just cause, or once there is a binding purchase-and-sale agreement with a bona fide third-party buyer. Within 30 days of foreclosure, the owner must post notice in the building, mail it to each unit, and slide it under each unit's door, giving the owner and manager contact information and where to send rent, plus a written notice of the right to a court hearing. Evictions for nonpayment, uncured violations, or refusing a lease renewal can't start until 30 days after that notice. A tenancy at will is not ended by sale, transfer or foreclosure. § 3: https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartII/TitleI/Chapter186A/Section3; § 4: https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartII/TitleI/Chapter186A/Section4. Who counts as a 'foreclosing owner' is defined in c. 186A § 1 (not read). For nonpayment evictions, the owner must first tell the tenant in writing how much to pay and to whom. |
Related questions
Massachusetts vs. neighboring states
| State | If the landlord sells the property | Tenants in foreclosure |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | A tenancy at will in a home is not ended by the owner's sale, transfer or lease of the property, or by foreclosure (G.L. c. 186, §13). When a landlord holding a security deposit transfers the property by sale, assignment, death, receivership or otherwise, the landlord must transfer the deposit plus accrued interest to the successor, who then becomes liable for holding and returning it. Within 45 days of the transfer, the successor must notify the tenant in writing that it holds the deposit, with names, business addresses and phone numbers. If the old landlord fails to transfer the deposit, the successor still owes it to the tenant; a successor may satisfy that duty for a tenant still in the unit by giving rent-free occupancy equal to the deposit amount (c. 186, §15B(5)). G.L. c. 186, §13; G.L. c. 186, §15B(5) | Strong state protections. A foreclosing owner (lender or its affiliate) may not evict a tenant except for just cause, or once there is a binding purchase-and-sale agreement with a bona fide third-party buyer. Within 30 days of foreclosure, the owner must post notice in the building, mail it to each unit, and slide it under each unit's door, giving the owner and manager contact information and where to send rent, plus a written notice of the right to a court hearing. Evictions for nonpayment, uncured violations, or refusing a lease renewal can't start until 30 days after that notice. A tenancy at will is not ended by sale, transfer or foreclosure. M.G.L. c. 186A, §§ 2, 3, 4; c. 186, § 13 |
| Connecticut | Unless otherwise agreed, a landlord who sells the rental to a good-faith buyer is relieved of liability under the lease and the landlord-tenant laws for events after the tenant gets written notice of the sale. Any sale or other transfer of the landlord's interest assigns the security interest in all tenants' deposits to the new owner (the successor), and the selling landlord must withdraw the deposits plus accrued interest from escrow and deliver them to the successor. The successor is liable for returning any part of a deposit that becomes due while it is the landlord. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-10(a), 47a-21(c), (e), (h)(3) | When residential property is foreclosed and a bona fide tenant (not the owner, in an arm's-length lease) is in possession when title vests, ejectment is stayed and no eviction may start until: (1) for a written lease signed more than 60 days before the foreclosure began, the earlier of the lease end date or 60 days after title vests; or (2) for other tenancies, 30 days after title vests. Eviction for an ordinary ground, such as nonpayment, may proceed sooner. Any cash-for-keys offer from the lender or new owner must be at least the greatest of: the security deposit plus interest; 2 months' rent; or $2,000. The tenant cannot be required to waive other rights to receive it. The federal PTFA's longer 90-day notice also applies where it governs. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-20e; § 47a-20f |
| New Hampshire | When a landlord sells the building, the landlord must turn the security deposit over to the buyer (grantee) at the time the deed is delivered or within 5 days afterward, and must notify the tenant by registered or certified mail, giving the name and address of the new holder of the deposit. A landlord who turns over the deposit with any interest due is relieved of liability for repaying it; the buyer then becomes responsible for returning the deposit to the tenant. RSA 540-A:6, III | A purchaser at a foreclosure sale may recover possession only through the regular possessory (eviction) action after a written notice to quit (RSA 540:12). Good-cause eviction rules continue to protect tenants of restricted property after foreclosure, except single-family houses taken by banks or mortgagees through foreclosure, which are exempt (RSA 540:1-a, I(d)). When property is sold or foreclosed, the landlord must turn the security deposit over to the buyer, receiver, or foreclosure purchaser within 5 days (RSA 540-A:6, III). RSA 540:12; RSA 540:1-a, I(d); RSA 540-A:6, III |
| New York | When a landlord sells the property (or assigns the lease), whoever holds the tenant's security deposit must turn it over to the buyer at delivery of the deed or within five days afterward, and notify the tenant by registered or certified mail with the buyer's name and address. Once the deposit is turned over, the seller is released from liability for repaying it and the buyer becomes responsible for returning it. Failing to comply is a misdemeanor. N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-105 | After foreclosure, a tenant in a unit that is not rent-controlled or rent-stabilized may stay for the longest of: (a) 90 days after the required notice; (b) the rest of the lease, if the tenant lived there when the foreclosure began or got the RPAPL 1303 notice; or (c) the rest of a good-faith, roughly market-rate lease, up to 3 years. The tenancy continues on the existing terms. The new owner must give every tenant written notice of these rights and of its name and address. A successor who will live in the property as a primary residence may limit one unit to 90 days. Rent-regulated and subsidized tenants keep their rights under other law. RPAPL 1305(2)-(5); RPAPL 1303 |
| Rhode Island | A landlord who sells to a good-faith buyer is released from liability for events after the tenant receives written notice of the sale, which must give the buyer's name, address and phone number and certify compliance with the housing-code disclosure law (§ 45-24.3-17). The sale does not affect the tenant's rights under an existing lease, and a buyer of a building with four or fewer units takes title with the same rights and responsibilities toward the tenant as the seller. Whoever holds the landlord's interest when the tenancy ends is bound by the security-deposit return rules. R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 34-18-23, 34-18-19(g) | For buildings with 4 or fewer units, a 'foreclosing owner' (the lender or its affiliate, an institutional mortgagee holding title within 3 years, or Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac) may not evict a bona fide tenant except for just cause, or when a binding sale to a bona fide third-party buyer exists (with disclosure), or under certain HUD/FHA occupied-conveyance rules. Within 30 days of foreclosure, the owner must post, mail, and slide under the door a notice with its contact information, the address for paying rent, and a continued-occupancy form. Eviction for cause cannot start until 30 days after that notice. Separately, a landlord 120 days delinquent on the mortgage must tell tenants the property may be foreclosed; tenants must keep paying rent until foreclosure. R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 34-18-38.1, 34-18-38.2, 34-18-20(d) |
| Vermont | When the landlord's interest in the unit ends (for example, by sale), the security deposit must be transferred to the new landlord, and the new landlord must give the tenant actual notice of the new landlord's name and address with a statement that the deposit has been transferred. If there is no written lease, a landlord who has contracted to sell the building may end the tenancy with at least 30 days' actual notice; the statute does not give that right when there is a written lease. 9 V.S.A. §§ 4461(f), 4467(d) | In a mortgage foreclosure of residential rental property, the foreclosing party must join as defendants the tenants occupying under a rental agreement when the complaint is recorded (service by first-class mail is sufficient), and the summons must carry a 14-point warning that the home is being foreclosed. On receiving the complaint, the owner must tell each NEW tenant that a foreclosure is pending and they may have to leave on 30 days' notice (or longer federal notice). After judgment, the writ of possession must be served on a residential tenant and the plaintiff cannot be put in possession until at least 30 days after service (or longer if federal law requires). On an ordinary sale with no written lease, a landlord who has contracted to sell may end the tenancy on 30 days' actual notice. 12 V.S.A. § 4932(c); 12 V.S.A. § 4941; 9 V.S.A. § 4467(d) |
City rules that may add to state law
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- Free legal help in Massachusetts
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Massachusetts Landlord Selling the House FAQ
What happens to my lease if my landlord sells the house in Massachusetts?
A tenancy at will in a home is not ended by the owner's sale, transfer or lease of the property, or by foreclosure (G.L. c. 186, §13). When a landlord holding a security deposit transfers the property by sale, assignment, death, receivership or otherwise, the landlord must transfer the deposit plus accrued interest to the successor, who then becomes liable for holding and returning it. Within 45 days of the transfer, the successor must notify the tenant in writing that it holds the deposit, with names, business addresses and phone numbers. If the old landlord fails to transfer the deposit, the successor still owes it to the tenant; a successor may satisfy that duty for a tenant still in the unit by giving rent-free occupancy equal to the deposit amount (c. 186, §15B(5)). (G.L. c. 186, §13; G.L. c. 186, §15B(5))
What are tenants' rights in a foreclosure in Massachusetts?
Strong state protections. A foreclosing owner (lender or its affiliate) may not evict a tenant except for just cause, or once there is a binding purchase-and-sale agreement with a bona fide third-party buyer. Within 30 days of foreclosure, the owner must post notice in the building, mail it to each unit, and slide it under each unit's door, giving the owner and manager contact information and where to send rent, plus a written notice of the right to a court hearing. Evictions for nonpayment, uncured violations, or refusing a lease renewal can't start until 30 days after that notice. A tenancy at will is not ended by sale, transfer or foreclosure. (M.G.L. c. 186A, §§ 2, 3, 4; c. 186, § 13)
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.