The house I am renting is going to be foreclosed
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
The house I am renting is going to be foreclosed
I am renting a house from a family that
owns it and they are not paying the
mortgage I’ve been paying 850 a month
to them but they don’t pay the mortgage
what are my options
Asked on August 5, 2016 under Real Estate Law, North Carolina
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
Federal law requires that when a rental home goes into foreclosure, a tenant with a written lease can continue to occupy the home until the end of the lease period, or 90 days, whichever is longer. The exception to this would be if the new owner intends to move in and occupy the home as their primary residence. In that case, a 90 day notice to move would apply. Tenants with a month-to-month lease, or no lease at all, have to be given at least 90 days notice to move. Further, in cases where state law provides more protection than the federal law, the state law applies.
Until the house is actually foreclosed on and the lender takes possesion and the landlord is no longer the owner, you are obligated to pay rent. The reason is that up until the very moment the foreclosure is completed, the landlord is still your landlord. If you do not pay the landlord simply because they are being foreclosed on, you are in breach of the lease. The landlord may sue you for the rent, take it out of your security deposit, and/or evict you.
Once the foreclosure happens, you no longer need to pay the landlord, since at that point, they'll have no legal right to the home. However, unless you work something out with the new owner, they will be able to evict you from the premises. You should be notified by the mortgage lender as to the sale/transfer date of the property and be informed where to send their rental payments by the new owner.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.