Real NEastate: Landlord want to sell

Q: My landlord has given me a notice telling me that she is selling my duplex in Academy Gardens. I am worried, and I don’t like the idea of strangers going through my apartment. Do I have to let them in?

Also, I have been here for four years, and paid on time every month, and I want to stay but she told me she can’t guarantee that the new owners will want to keep me. I thought they had to accept a lease with the property.

A: Anyone buying real estate will want to see the entire property.  It can be uncomfortable, but if there’s any hope of you staying, you should make it as easy as possible to see it. Nobody wants a problem renter, even with a great payment history.

If you consistently deny showings because you don’t want to move, your landlord will not get a chance to find a buyer who may actually want a renter already in place when they buy. You might just guarantee that the new buyer won’t want to keep you, or you could even find yourself evicted sooner.

Everything should be spelled out in your lease. Your lease should contain the following information:

1. How much notice your landlord has to give you before showing your unit. It will usually be 24 hours.
2. If your landlord has the ability to terminate your lease because of the sale and how many days notice your landlord has to terminate your lease.
3. If the buyer must accept the lease, and what happens in the event the buyer agrees to accept your lease.
4. How your escrow or deposit should be handled in the event of a sale.
5. If your landlord can evict your for refusing to show the property.

Also, check the PA General’s Web site for the Pennsylvania’s Landlord Tenant Act.

Stacey McCarthy is a real estate agent with the McCarthy Group of Keller Williams. Her Real NEastate column appears every Wednesday on NEastPhilly.com. See others here. Read other NEast Philly columns here.