How Much Notice is Required to Remove a Month-to-Month Tenant if a Landlord Sells the Rental Property?

Ideally, tenant-landlord relationships are open and communicative, with neither party ever blindsided by unexpected news. Unfortunately, that is not always the case, which is why many states have provisions regulating how much notice both tenants and landlords are required to give one another in the event of changes.

If a landlord chooses to sell a rental property, the lease usually transfers over to the new owners and rent is paid to them and the original lease terms still apply. However, in a situation where there is no long-term lease agreement and the property is rented month-to-month, things get trickier. In Florida, the landlord is only required to give 15 days’ notice that the month-to-month lease will not be renewed, whether due to sale of the property or any other valid reason. Fifteen days is not very much time to secure another living situation, so try to maintain open and frequent communication with your landlord about his plans for the property.

Additionally, your landlord may request access to the property for inspection or showing it to potential buyers. In most states, landlords are required to provide at least 24 hours’ notice prior to these visits and tenants are required to make reasonable accommodations.

As always, the specific terms of your lease agreement may vary, so it could be beneficial to have an experienced attorney review your rental documents and inform you of your rights as a tenant, as well as your landlord’s rights and responsibilities. If your landlord has been delinquent with repairs or other upkeep for the property, you have options like withholding rent.

If your landlord informs you that he will be selling the property, contact the new owners to see if they would like to continue renting the property to you, even if it’s just for another few weeks as you try to find a new place to stay. It’s worth a try.

For specific questions, be sure to contact an attorney and read up on your state’s specific regulations regarding tenant-landlord relationships.

The opinions in this post are solely those of the author. The author takes full responsibility for the content. Like all blog posts, this is offered for general information purposes and does not constitute legal advice.

This post was written by Stephen Hachey. Follow Stephen on Google, Facebook, Twitter & Linkedin.