Your rights when your landlord is selling the property

When your landlord decides to sell the property you rent, it can feel unsettling. But selling a property does not automatically end your tenancy, and you have rights that continue through the sale process. Here is what happens when your landlord sells, and what you can do.

Does my landlord have to tell me they are selling?

There is no legal requirement for a landlord to tell you before they put the property on the market. However, your landlord must give you proper notice before:

• Entering the property for viewings. They need your permission, or must give at least 24 hours' written notice and come at a reasonable time.
• Doing anything that affects your quiet enjoyment of the home

Your landlord cannot force you to allow endless or badly timed viewings. You can fairly refuse or limit access if the requests are intrusive or too many.

Does the sale end my tenancy?

No. When a property is sold, your tenancy continues on the same terms. The new owner becomes your landlord automatically and takes over all the obligations of the previous landlord.

If you have a fixed-term tenancy that has not yet ended, the new landlord must honour it. They cannot evict you simply because they bought the property.

If you are on a periodic tenancy (rolling month to month), the new landlord cannot use a Section 21 notice: the Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolished them. To gain possession they must prove a specific legal ground, such as the selling ground, and follow its rules and notice periods like any other landlord.

Do I have to leave when the sale completes?

No, not unless your tenancy has already legally ended and proper notice has been given. The sale itself is not a notice to leave.

If someone says you must leave because the property is being sold, check whether you have received a valid notice. A notice is only valid if it:

• Is in writing
• Gives the correct notice period for the ground relied on (for old Section 21 notices served before abolition, that was at least two months)
• Is served correctly: in person, by post, or as your tenancy agreement says
• Meets all the other legal requirements. For pre-abolition Section 21 notices that includes deposit protection, an EPC, a gas safety certificate, and the "How to Rent" guide.

A sale does not by itself evict you. The landlord must rely on the specific selling ground, with its own notice period and rules, and prove it in court if you do not leave.

What if the new landlord wants to move in?

If the new owner wants to live in the property themselves, they must use the moving-in ground under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, with its minimum notice period, and apply to court for possession if you do not leave. Section 21 no-fault notices no longer exist.

However:

• They must follow the full process, notice, then court claim, then bailiff warrant if necessary
• They cannot force you to leave before the court process is complete
• You can contest an invalid notice
• You can ask the court to delay if you need more time to find somewhere else to live

If the new landlord is claiming they need to move in as a ground for eviction under Section 8 (Ground 1), this requires that the original landlord previously lived in the property as their main home. It is not available to a brand-new buyer who has never lived there.

What about my deposit?

Your deposit must pass to the new landlord. They take on the duty to protect it, if it is not protected already, and to return it at the end of the tenancy, less any fair deductions.

You should get written confirmation of who now holds your deposit, which deposit scheme it is in, and how to contact the new landlord.

Can I claim for disrepair during the sale or after?

Yes. You can bring a disrepair claim for disrepair during your tenancy, even if the property is being sold or has already been sold. If the disrepair happened while the previous landlord owned the property, the claim may be against them.

The new landlord becomes responsible for any ongoing disrepair from the date they take ownership. If they become aware of the disrepair (or it is obvious) and fail to fix it, they can be liable too.

When should I contact Support for Tenants?

If your home has disrepair that your landlord has not fixed, whether or not they are selling, call us on 0800 030 4669. A sale does not remove your right to compensation for disrepair during your tenancy.

No upfront cost. You only pay if you win, and the fee comes out of the compensation, not your pocket. If you don't win, you pay nothing.

Sources

• Housing Act 1988 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, Section 11 (legislation.gov.uk)

Related articles

• What is a Section 21 notice, is it still legal?
• Right to quiet enjoyment
• Retaliatory eviction explained