What happens if my landlord dies

Our role is to liaise between landlord and tenant to ensure that we reach a solution that suits everyone. If a property is professionally managed , the letting agent will continue to act on behalf of the beneficiary, an easier option for the tenant who will liaise with their existing contact as before. We can reassure tenants that, when a landlord dies, nothing will change during the course of the tenancy.

That is the law. And we will act on their behalf to find a solution when the tenancy ends at its due time, helping both tenant and landlord reach a satisfactory solution. View all posts by Simran Prasad. What happens if your landlord dies? What could the beneficiary do at the end of the current tenancy?

What happens if the property is put up for sale? How a letting agent can help This is what happened when a client of ours died last year. The advantages of a professionally managed property If a property is professionally managed , the letting agent will continue to act on behalf of the beneficiary, an easier option for the tenant who will liaise with their existing contact as before.

About the Author A qualified lawyer she studied Law with French Law at UCL, Simran began her career working for a city firm specialising in commercial real estate, before joining Benham and Reeves in If the occupant fails to show up, the court will usually enter a default judgment requiring that the occupant vacate the premises.

If the occupant does appear, the court will give both parties an opportunity to resolve the matter themselves before the hearing. If the parties are unable to reach an agreement, the court will hear what both parties have to say. If the court agrees that the occupant is no longer entitled to occupy the premises, the court will enter an order requiring that they vacate the premises usually within ten days and awarding any money damages you are entitled to.

If you find yourself in this unfortunate situation, you should seek competent legal counsel immediately.

Our firm normally handles such matters and would be happy to speak with you. What if your landlord died while still owing money to somebody? This may mean that your apartment will transferred in order to settle a debt. Three common situations where this could occur would be if the landlord had a mortgage on the property, if they had not yet paid contractors for major renovation work at the building, or if they had unpaid back taxes.

Either way, the creditor gets your building and you along with it. Not really. Please be gentle with the relatives of your landlord when you go to discuss leaving — it is always a delicate and difficult situation. All of the above is pretty much consistent if the landlord lived in the same building with you or not. However, if the landlord died in the building I know, ew!

A death on the property requires special clean up and care. Your property may be sealed for investigation by the coroner. The only problem is that you have to provide written notice to your landlord asking them to correct the problem, and figuring out who your new landlord is within 72 hours can be difficult. Regardless, the most important things in this situation are to find safe substitute housing immediately — a hotel if you have to — and to cooperate with the authorities and the heirs in order to find out when you can safely return.

This sort of extreme scenario would merit a call to an attorney to ensure that your needs remain prominent in the minds of those dealing directly with the death.

Your lease expiration date, like all other aspects of your lease, remains valid even if the owner dies. Unless your landlord did so before death, you have the right to stay in your apartment on a month-to-month lease.