Q: Landlord is selling house 1 month into year-long lease due to city zoning issues. Not letting us out of lease. Recourse?
One month into our lease, my two siblings and I (all college students) have been notified that the landlord is going to sell the house. Classes started today (8/24) and if we need to move we ought to move now before the house sells at some point in the semester. We were told if we did that we would be breaking the lease and they demand two months' rent. We could stay here but not sure what the new owner will do. Apparently the current house owner has been notified by the city that they are in violation of city zoning laws because they are renting to more than three persons not related. We rent that upstairs house; there are three apartments in the finished basements downstairs which are all rented. What can we do?
A: Generally under Virginia law, the purchaser/new owner is bound by the terms and conditions of an existing lease between the current tenant and the landlord/selling owner. The purchaser/new owner must assume the obligations and rights as stated in the existing lease with the tenant.
A: You don't have to leave because the property is being sold, but the city may not allow you to stay if the property has more people living there than is permissible based on the zoning ordinance. If you decide to hire an attorney, I'm sure anyone who responds would be happy to help.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
