Pennsylvania Landlord Selling the House
Pennsylvania 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: 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). Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 § 104; Act reviewed
The rules in Pennsylvania
| If the landlord sells the property | 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. Reviewed the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 (68 P.S. § 250.101 et seq.) on 2026-10-28; no provision found. |
|---|---|
| Tenants in foreclosure | No state statute found — the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 has no foreclosure or sale protections for tenants beyond the federal PTFA. Federal PTFA: a 90-day notice and existing leases are honored with limited exceptions. |
Related questions
Pennsylvania vs. neighboring states
| State | If the landlord sells the property | Tenants in foreclosure |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| New Jersey | A tenant protected by the Anti-Eviction Act may not be removed by the landlord's successor in ownership except for good cause (or in narrow federal-law or government-enforcement cases). The buyer must obtain the security deposits and accrued interest from the seller; whether or not they are transferred, the buyer becomes responsible for investing the deposit, giving the required notices, paying interest, and returning the deposit with interest. A seller who turns the deposit and the tenant's share of interest over to the buyer is released from liability for repaying it. N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.3(b); N.J.S.A. 46:8-21 | Foreclosure alone is not grounds to evict. The Anti-Eviction Act's good-cause rules bind the new owner. Within 10 business days after taking title through a sheriff's sale or deed in lieu, the new owner must give tenants a notice in English and Spanish. The notice says where to pay rent, that the tenant is protected by the Anti-Eviction Act, and gives the new owner's contact information. In buildings of 10 or fewer units, it must be posted on each unit door and sent by certified and regular mail. The foreclosing party and new owner may not pressure tenants to leave (except by a bona fide cash-for-keys offer, with a 5-business-day review period). Violations bring $2,000 per violation or other civil remedies at the tenant's choice. N.J.S.A. 2A:50-70, 2A:50-71 (P.L.2009, c.296) |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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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Pennsylvania Landlord Selling the House FAQ
What happens to my lease if my landlord sells the house in 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)
What are tenants' rights in a foreclosure in Pennsylvania?
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)
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.