LL just told me they want to sell - help!

[jen7dol]

I have been living in my townhome for a year and a half. When my year lease was up, I was not sure if wanted to lock myself into another full year because of where my relationship is heading, so my landlord agreed to let me go month-to-month. I did not sign a new lease; this was agreed to through email. It appears from my original lease that everything in it still applies even though I became month-to-month. This whole time, I've been an exemplary tenant and have made all my payments on time except one. The landlord is actually a real estate company representing the actual owners. The landlord emailed me a couple weeks ago and asked me if I was interested in buying the house. He had asked me this once about a year ago as well and never said the owners were contemplating selling it, so I didn't think much about it. I told him that I was not interested in buying at this time. From what I knew, the owners were perfectly fine with me renting it - they're still making money off of me and haven't had any problems with me and never made any indication that they'd want to sell anytime soon. I guess they have the right to change their mind at any time, but I never dreamed that they'd up and decide it had to go on the market RIGHT NOW and that it could affect whether this is my home or not.

Today I got a call at work from a woman who works at the landlord's office. She said, "I was just calling to let you know that the owners are about to put your house on the market and will be putting up a sign and a lockbox on the door in a couple of days." I said, "WHAT?" First of all, I have pets that are strictly indoor and run loose in the house (the LL knows I have pets). If they put a lockbox on my door and anyone can come in and out at will, my pets could get outside, get injured, or injure someone if they are scared by the strangers. I am really concerned about their safety. I live by myself and can't have someone home all the time in case someone wants to view the house, and I can't keep them locked up all hours just because someone may or may not be coming in while I'm gone. I tried to explain this, but she basically told me tough luck.

I'm also really upset because I love my house. I don't want to leave right now. I don't plan to live here forever, but I want to leave when I feel ready - not because I'm being forced to through no fault of my own. If they sell it to another buyer, are they required to sell it with a provision for me as a tenant to stay here under my current lease agreement? Or can the new buyer decide they want me out? The only reason I have not bought the house since I love it so much is that I may be getting married within the year and didn't want to buy it and have to turn around and sell it before I could even build up any equity. I did tell this to the LL, even though there is no guarantee that I'll be getting engaged or married soon because there is still a strong possibility.

Today the lady told me that if I can pre-qualify and buy the house myself, that MAY allow them to hold off on actually listing the house or putting the lockbox on. So I have decided I am willing to buy it if I can qualify if that's what it takes to stay here for now. I would much rather that than people coming in at any time they want and risking my pets' safety and potentially losing my house if it's sold to someone else. If all this goes well, problem solved. But what happens if I do not pre-qualify to buy it myself? My lease does say that the LL can enter any time to show the house to prospective buyers. So I suppose that legally they are in their right to do this. But just because something is legal on paper doesn't make it decent to do to a human being, especially when I've been a good tenant with no problems.

Is there ANYthing I can do to prevent them from putting that lockbox on my door and listing the house?? And what happens if there is a new owner - is my situation protected or can I get tossed out? I am so scared right now of losing my home and endangering my pets. I just don't know what to do. I sent the main LL a very emotional (but grounded) email explaining about my pets and not wanting to move and asked if he would please pass along my concerns to the owners, who I know also have pets and should understand, to see if they would be willing to wait to put the house on the market until I've figured out what to do and if I pre-qualify, but I haven't heard back yet. Am I within my rights to request that they at least give me advance notice that someone's coming to view the house so that I can make sure I'm home? But my job is not going to appreciate that very much. I've been trying to research what my rights are, and it appears that if there's a new buyer, my lease must be protected and continued and that even if I am told I have to vacate, they have to give me 60 days notice. That would at least be better than being suddenly told to leave by a new owner.

If anyone has any advice or encouragement for me, please please post it - I'm about to go crazy with worry.

[Downtown]

Certainly, the chances are that anyone who buys townhouse would want to live there. If Georgia requires 60 day notice (in NY it is 30) for termination of MTM....that is minimally what you can expect. By not signing a lease, you are now vulnerable to this.
As to broker(s) showing. It is reasonable to expect 24 hr. notice. Make it very clear that no showing of the house will be permitted without prior notice (you will try and accomodate, but will not be available 24/7). Stress that you have pets that will escape. If after work and weekends work for you, let them know these are acceptable times. If someone enters without permission, then change a lock.

[cestmoi123]

Deleted, b/c I misread the original post.

<small>[ March 22, 2006, 10:16 AM: Message edited by: cestmoi123 ]</small>