Ohio Landlord Selling the House
Ohio rules on landlord selling the house for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: Ohio has no state law in its landlord-tenant chapter that requires a selling landlord to transfer the security deposit to the buyer or to notify tenants of the sale. Ohio Rev. Code ch. 5321 (reviewed); §§ 5321.13(E), 5321.18
The rules in Ohio
| If the landlord sells the property | Ohio has no state law in its landlord-tenant chapter that requires a selling landlord to transfer the security deposit to the buyer or to notify tenants of the sale. The chapter does provide that an assignment or conveyance of the landlord's interest in a rental agreement cannot allow anyone to collect rent free of the landlord's duties to keep the unit fit and habitable. Every written lease must give the owner's name and address (and the agent's, if any). Reviewed Ohio Rev. Code chapter 5321 on 2026-10-28; no provision found. |
|---|---|
| Tenants in foreclosure | No statute — Ohio Rev. Code chs. 5321 and 1923 add no tenant protections in foreclosure or sale beyond the federal PTFA. Federal PTFA: a 90-day notice and existing leases are honored with limited exceptions. |
Related questions
Ohio vs. neighboring states
| State | If the landlord sells the property | Tenants in foreclosure |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | Ohio has no state law in its landlord-tenant chapter that requires a selling landlord to transfer the security deposit to the buyer or to notify tenants of the sale. The chapter does provide that an assignment or conveyance of the landlord's interest in a rental agreement cannot allow anyone to collect rent free of the landlord's duties to keep the unit fit and habitable. Every written lease must give the owner's name and address (and the agent's, if any). Ohio Rev. Code ch. 5321 (reviewed); §§ 5321.13(E), 5321.18 | No statute — Ohio Rev. Code chs. 5321 and 1923 add no tenant protections in foreclosure or sale beyond the federal PTFA. Ohio Rev. Code chs. 1923, 5321 checked |
| Indiana | Not verified yet | Not verified yet |
| Kentucky | When a landlord sells or transfers the property, the tenant does not have to 'attorn' (formally accept the new owner) for the transfer to be valid, and a tenant who pays rent to the old owner before getting notice of the sale is not penalized for it (KRS 383.100(2)). In areas that have adopted Kentucky's landlord-tenant act, the landlord must give the tenant in writing the name and address of the manager and of the owner or owner's agent for notices, must keep that information current, and the duty extends to any successor landlord or owner (KRS 383.585). Kentucky's security-deposit statute (KRS 383.580) does not say who must hold or return the deposit after a sale. KRS 383.100(2); KRS 383.585; KRS 383.580 | Not verified yet |
| Michigan | When a landlord's interest in a rental unit ends by sale, assignment, death, receivership or otherwise, the landlord (or agent) stays liable for the security deposit until one of these happens: the deposit is transferred to the new owner and the tenant is notified by ordinary mail of the transfer and the new owner's name and address; the new owner complies with the deposit-security requirements of the act (section 4); or the deposit is returned to the tenant. MCL 554.614 | No Michigan statute grants tenants special notice beyond eviction law. After a foreclosure sale, the occupant can be removed by summary proceedings only once the redemption period ends, which is usually 6 months for 1-4 unit homes (1 month or 30 days if abandoned; 1 year in some cases). During redemption, the buyer may inspect on 72 hours' notice. Federal PTFA 90-day notice protections apply separately. MCL 600.5714(1)(g); MCL 600.3240(7)-(12); MCL 600.3238 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
City rules that may add to state law
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- Free legal help in Ohio
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Ohio Landlord Selling the House FAQ
What happens to my lease if my landlord sells the house in Ohio?
Ohio has no state law in its landlord-tenant chapter that requires a selling landlord to transfer the security deposit to the buyer or to notify tenants of the sale. The chapter does provide that an assignment or conveyance of the landlord's interest in a rental agreement cannot allow anyone to collect rent free of the landlord's duties to keep the unit fit and habitable. Every written lease must give the owner's name and address (and the agent's, if any). (Ohio Rev. Code ch. 5321 (reviewed); §§ 5321.13(E), 5321.18)
What are tenants' rights in a foreclosure in Ohio?
No statute — Ohio Rev. Code chs. 5321 and 1923 add no tenant protections in foreclosure or sale beyond the federal PTFA. (Ohio Rev. Code chs. 1923, 5321 checked)
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.