Get An Offer Today, Sell In A Matter Of Days
If you own a Philadelphia rental with a tenant who stopped paying, trashed the unit, or simply refuses to leave — or you’ve discovered a squatter living in a property you never authorized — you already know how stuck it can feel. The usual advice is to spend months and legal fees getting the house empty before you can even think about selling. There’s a faster way: we buy occupied houses in Philadelphia as-is, for cash, and take the tenant or squatter situation off your hands.
Why a problem tenant makes a normal sale so hard
In Pennsylvania, a lease generally survives the sale of a property. Under the Pennsylvania Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, when ownership changes hands the new owner steps into the old landlord’s shoes and is bound by the same lease terms. A buyer purchases the home “subject to” the existing lease — which means a fixed-term tenant usually can’t be forced out just because the property changed hands. That shrinks your buyer pool fast. Most owner-occupant buyers want a vacant home they can move into, so a tenant-occupied house on the MLS tends to attract lowball offers from investors only.
And if the tenant is behind on rent or damaging the property, showings become nearly impossible while your mortgage, taxes, and water bill keep climbing on a house that isn’t paying for itself.
The Philadelphia eviction route is slow — and now has an extra step
Removing a non-paying or holdover tenant in Philadelphia is more involved than in most of Pennsylvania. The city now requires landlords to go through the Eviction Diversion Program before they can even file in court:
- Eviction Diversion Program (EDP). Under Philadelphia Code § 9-811, you must participate in good faith for at least 30 full days; an Outcome Certificate is issued on day 31 once you’ve met the requirement.
- Municipal Court filing. After EDP, the minimum time to a hearing is roughly 21 days, and in practice it often runs closer to 30.
- After judgment. Tenants typically have at least 21 more days before a writ of possession is served by the landlord-tenant officer.
Add it up and a contested eviction can stretch across several months — all while you’re carrying a property that isn’t generating income.
Squatters are a different — and trickier — problem
A squatter is someone occupying the property with no lease and no landlord-tenant relationship. Because of that, the fix usually isn’t a Municipal Court eviction at all — it’s an ejectment action filed in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. Pennsylvania’s adverse-possession rule (what people call “squatters’ rights”) requires 21 continuous years of open occupation before anyone could claim ownership, so a typical squatter has no real claim to your home — but removing them still means working through the court process, proving the trespass, and coordinating with the sheriff. It’s time, money, and stress you didn’t ask for.
How we buy tenant- and squatter-occupied houses in Philadelphia
We’re local cash buyers. We buy houses across Philadelphia for cash in any condition and any situation — including occupied ones. When you sell to us:
- We buy as-is, occupied — you don’t evict anyone, make repairs, or clean out the property.
- We take on the tenant or squatter — the legal process and the headache become ours after closing.
- No fees, no commissions, no closing costs — and no agents, showings, or MLS exposure.
- Fair cash offer, fast close — you pick the closing date that works for you.
That turns a stalled, stressful problem into a clean exit. You get paid, you stop carrying the property, and you hand off the occupancy issue entirely.
Get a fair cash offer on your occupied Philadelphia house
Whether it’s one stubborn tenant or a squatter you never let in, you have options. We help homeowners and landlords throughout Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania sell quickly and confidentially. Request your no-obligation offer on our get a cash offer page, or call us at (215) 515-7799 — we’ll review your situation and make a fair cash offer, often within 24 hours.
This page is general information about selling tenant- or squatter-occupied property in Philadelphia and is not legal advice. Eviction, ejectment, and lease rules are complex and change over time — consult a Pennsylvania attorney about your specific situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sell my Philadelphia house if a tenant is still living in it?
Yes. You can sell an occupied rental at any time; the buyer simply takes the property subject to the existing lease. We buy tenant-occupied houses directly for cash, so you don’t have to wait for the lease to end or evict anyone before selling.
Do I have to evict the tenant or squatter before selling to you?
No — that’s the whole point. We purchase the property occupied and handle the tenant or squatter situation after closing, so you avoid the months-long eviction or ejectment process entirely.
How long does an eviction take in Philadelphia?
A contested eviction commonly runs several months. Philadelphia requires at least 30 days in the Eviction Diversion Program before filing, then roughly three to six weeks to a Municipal Court hearing, plus about 21 more days after judgment before a writ of possession. Selling to a cash buyer skips all of it.
What’s the difference between a tenant and a squatter?
A tenant has (or had) a lease or the owner’s permission and is removed through the eviction process in Municipal Court. A squatter has no lease or permission and is removed through an ejectment action in the Court of Common Pleas. We buy houses in either situation.
Will I get a fair price for an occupied house?
We make a fair cash offer based on the property and the situation, with no fees, commissions, or repair costs deducted. Because we take on the occupancy risk, you skip the carrying costs and legal expenses of clearing the house yourself.