Cash for Keys and other issues

[Jennifer Pletcher]

Okay - I just inherited a renter.  She is having a problem signing our lease.   She has a year lease with the last owner.  She is 3 months into that lease when he sold it to us.  Our real estate attorney thinks that his lease is only good for 30 days once we take ownership and that then she needs to sign ours.  She is refusing.  She doesn't like the "Notice to Quit" waiver, that we charge a late fee on the 2nd of the month.  She won't pay her rent because of this AND she put it in an escrow account.  We are at a loss because we have never had this before.  We have inherited tenants, but never one that wants to stipulate the terms of the lease.  This house is in PA.  We are trying to figure out what our rights are and if we need to get this lady out - how best to do that.

[David Krulac]

@Jennifer Pletcher

Sorry your Mass Attorney is wrong about PA law.  Here the new owner MUST honor the existing lease until it expires.  The only way out of the lease is to offer money to the tenant to leave (cash for keys) but they do not have to accept cash for keys.

Paying the rent into escrow IS paying the rent.

Tread carefully, suggest you get a local PA attorney versed in Landlord Tenant law here in PA.