Purchased a 3 unit property that was occupied in Philly. Purchase was done with financing. The title company pulls a property certification from L&I stating that the building is legally registered for use as a 3 unit building. Property is appraised as a 3 unit and mortgage underwritten as a 3 unit based on Property Certifiation. Now fast forward to getting a rental license after I took ownership. I get denied because the city claims that there is no CO on file for the property. In order to get a CO I need building plans drawn up. And there is a chance that the property lost its zoning variance, which apparently can go away if previous owners never got there rental license for a period of time. So I kind of opened a can of worms and was wondering if anyone has went through similair thing in Philly since Im sure Im not the only one. At a minimum a need a CO for a property that has already been constructed and is being lived in by 3 different families. Will they literally tear every wall down inside in order to isnpect everything or will it be a basic inspection for certain safety measures, means of egress etc..

Seperately I may have lost zoning due to the lack of previous owners rental license. That whole thing is a bit absurd considering the Property Certifcation from L&I obtained at settlement states property is legally registered for use as a 3 unit. So not sure what good a property cert is if it isnt accurate.

Anyone in the Philly area go through similiar situation with an existing building being rented and how was it remediated, time and money?

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Zoning / CO Issue in Philadelphia

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