My landlord is selling, do I have to leave?

The sale of a property does not end a tenancy. Under the principle of "nemo dat" and the Housing Act 1988, a tenancy is binding on a purchaser of the property. When your landlord sells, the new owner buys the property subject to your tenancy and becomes your new landlord. You do not have to leave simply because the property has changed hands.

If you are in a fixed term, you have the right to remain until that term expires, regardless of the sale. The new owner cannot end your tenancy mid-fixed-term any more than the previous owner could.

If your tenancy is periodic (rolling month-to-month), the new owner can eventually serve notice, but must do so in the correct legal form. For a Section 21 no-fault notice, they must give at least two months and comply with all the validity requirements (deposit protection, gas certificate, EPC, etc.). They may also need to ensure these requirements were met by the previous landlord, which can complicate matters.

During the sales process, your landlord may ask you to vacate to make the property easier to sell or to enable a sale to an owner-occupier. You are not obliged to agree unless valid legal notice has been served. Agreeing to leave voluntarily could affect your entitlement to rehousing assistance from the council.

Check that any notice served was given by the correct party (the new owner after registration, or the old owner before completion) and that all validity conditions are met. Seek advice if the timeline is unclear.