Get An Offer Today, Sell In A Matter Of Days
Owning rental property in Philadelphia can be a great business — until it isn’t. Maybe you inherited a duplex in West Philly with tenants you’ve never met. Maybe your triplex in Kensington needs a roof you can’t finance. Or maybe you’re just a tired landlord who’s done chasing rent, water bills, and L&I notices. Whatever brought you here, selling a multi-family or tenant-occupied property in Philadelphia the traditional way is a different animal than selling the home you live in — and that’s exactly the kind of sale we make simple.
Why selling a Philadelphia multi-family is harder than it looks
List a tenant-occupied duplex with an agent and you’ll run into problems a normal listing never has:
- Showings with tenants in place. Every showing needs tenant cooperation. Unhappy or non-paying tenants can sink a listing just by not answering the door.
- License and certificate paperwork. Philadelphia landlords are expected to carry a current rental license from L&I, issue a Certificate of Rental Suitability at the start of each tenancy, and — for buildings built before March 1978 — hold a lead-safe or lead-free certification. If any of that lapsed, retail buyers and their lawyers get nervous fast.
- Financing and appraisal friction. Banks scrutinize small multi-families: rent rolls, leases, condition, and legal unit count all get checked. One surprise and the deal dies at the underwriting desk.
- The zoning question. Thousands of Philly rowhomes are zoned single-family but have operated as duplexes or triplexes for decades. If your unit count doesn’t match the zoning record, a conventional sale can stall for months.
We buy with your tenants in place
In Pennsylvania, leases generally transfer with the property — a buyer steps into your shoes as landlord, and tenants with a valid fixed-term lease typically have the right to stay through the end of it. That scares off most retail buyers, who want a vacant home to live in. It doesn’t scare us. We buy tenant-occupied properties every month, honor the leases in place, and handle the transition — including the written notice to tenants and the transfer of security deposits that Pennsylvania law expects when ownership changes. You don’t have to evict anyone, wait out a lease, or manage a single showing. One walkthrough is all we need.
Behind on rental licenses, certificates, or lead paperwork? We still buy
A lot of Philadelphia landlords — especially folks who inherited a property or self-managed for years — aren’t fully caught up on the city’s rental compliance stack: the annual rental license, the Certificate of Rental Suitability, lead certification for pre-1978 buildings. Getting current can take time and money, and open violations can block certificates from being issued at all. When we buy, we buy the property as-is, paperwork situation included. We deal with the city after closing so you don’t have to. (Licensing and landlord-tenant rules change and every situation is different — this is general information, not legal advice.)
The unpermitted-conversion problem (a Philadelphia classic)
Here’s a situation we see constantly: a rowhome that’s been rented as two or three units since the 1980s, but the zoning record still says single-family. Legalizing the units can mean variances, hearings, architects, and permits — and a vacancy along the way can even jeopardize a grandfathered non-conforming use. Meanwhile, banks won’t lend on units that don’t legally exist, so your buyer pool shrinks to cash. That’s us. We buy properties with unit counts that don’t match the paperwork, price them fairly for what they are, and take the zoning question on ourselves.
How our cash offer works
- Tell us about the property. Address, unit count, rough rents, and the situation. One quick walkthrough — scheduled around your tenants, not against them.
- Get a fair cash offer. Usually within 24 hours. No fees, no commissions, no repair demands, no financing contingency.
- Close on your date. Days, not months. You pick the date; we coordinate the rest, tenants included.
One cost worth knowing about up front: Philadelphia’s realty transfer tax currently totals 4.578% of the sale price (city plus state combined), customarily split between buyer and seller. We’ll walk you through exactly what you’d net before you commit to anything — no surprises at the closing table.
Situations we buy in every week
- Inherited a duplex or triplex with tenants already in it
- Tired landlord — done with repairs, rent collection, and 2 a.m. phone calls
- Tenants who won’t pay or won’t leave — see how we handle problem tenants and squatters
- A building that needs major repairs you don’t want to fund
- Back water bills or municipal liens stacking up on the property
- Vacant units, L&I violations, or a partially occupied building that won’t appraise
If any of that sounds like your property, let’s talk. Call or text us at (215) 515-7799, or get your fair cash offer today — no fees, no commissions, no repairs, and you pick the closing date.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell my Philadelphia rental property with tenants still living in it?
Yes. In Pennsylvania, existing leases generally transfer to the new owner, so you don’t need a vacant building to sell. We buy tenant-occupied duplexes, triplexes, and single-family rentals, honor the leases in place, and handle deposit transfers and tenant notices as part of closing.
What happens to my tenants and their security deposits when I sell?
Tenants with a valid lease typically keep their lease terms under the new owner. Security deposits are transferred to the buyer at closing, and tenants get written notice of who now holds them. We manage that handoff — your tenants aren’t left in the dark. (General information, not legal advice.)
Do I need a current rental license or Certificate of Rental Suitability to sell?
Lapsed licenses and certificates complicate a traditional sale, but they don’t stop a cash sale to us — we buy as-is and sort out compliance after closing. If your paperwork situation is messy, tell us up front and we’ll factor it in rather than walk away.
My building is used as a duplex but zoned single-family. Can you still buy it?
Yes. Unpermitted conversions are one of the most common situations we see in Philadelphia rowhomes. We buy based on the property as it actually exists and take on the zoning question ourselves — no need for you to chase variances or legalization first.
How fast can you close on a multi-family property?
Typically in days, not months, because we pay cash — no lender, no appraisal contingency, no underwriting surprises. You pick the closing date, and we schedule everything, including the walkthrough, around your tenants.