How to Sell a House With Code Violations in Philadelphia

How do I look up L&I violations on a Philadelphia property?

Use the City's free Atlas map. Every L&I case on an address is listed there.

1. Search the address. On atlas.phila.gov, open the Licenses and Inspections section. The City says it shows a property's L&I permits, licenses, violations and zoning history. L&I's Property History lookup at li.phila.gov also shows L&I permits, licenses and violations.
2. Open the Violations table. Each case has its own case file number, and the City says a copy of the full initial Notice of Violation is there to download, free.
3. Order a Property Sales Certification when you decide to sell. It is the official list a buyer gets: $139 through L&I's eCLIPSE system, about five business days. It shows the zoning and every uncorrected housing, building, safety and fire violation, including ones with unpaid fines.
4. Check for City bills. If L&I or its contractors worked on the property, for example to seal it, get a free payoff statement from the Revenue Department through the Philadelphia Tax Center.

What does an L&I violation notice mean?

It means an inspector found a code problem and L&I opened a case. L&I says a violation "will remain open unless complied with or an appeal is upheld," so selling the house does not close it.

When the work is done, you can ask L&I to reinspect early so the violation gets cleared. A final violation notice cannot be appealed, so act on the first one.

How and when do I appeal an L&I violation?

Appeal within 30 days of the first notice for most violations, to the board that matches the notice. An appeal argues the notice is wrong or asks for more time. If you lose, the work is still due.

• Board of License and Inspection Review: most L&I violations. Use the board's appeal form and attach the notice and your reason. There is no fee. Mail it, or bring it by appointment, to the Boards Administration Unit, Municipal Services Building, 1401 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Concourse, Philadelphia, PA 19102. Hearings can be months out. You can appeal the board's decision to the Court of Common Pleas within 30 days.
• Board of Building Standards: unsafe or imminently dangerous designations, and requests for more time to fix them. File within 5 business days of the notice. A time extension request has no fee.
• Other boards: Fire Code violations go to the Board of Safety and Fire Prevention, zoning permits to the Zoning Board of Adjustment, and Code Violation Notices (CVNs) to the Office of Administrative Review.

What happens to an unsafe, imminently dangerous or condemned house?

L&I can clear the building, set tight repair deadlines, and seal or demolish it at the owner's cost. The labels come from the Philadelphia Property Maintenance Code:

• Unsafe: dangerous to the people inside or the public, for example because it lacks basic fire safeguards, or is so damaged, decayed or badly built that a partial or complete collapse is possible.
• Imminently dangerous: in imminent danger of failure or collapse that puts lives at risk, or part of it has already fallen.
• Condemned: the code says a building found unsafe, unfit for people to live in, or unlawful "shall be condemned." (This is not eminent domain, when a government takes land for public use.)

For an imminently dangerous building, L&I can order everyone out at once and post a notice at each entrance. After that, no one may go inside except to make repairs or demolish it. The owner must get a Make Safe permit within 10 days of receiving the violation, start work within 10 days of the permit (30 days for an unsafe building), and keep going until it is safe. If the owner does not act, L&I can seal a vacant building or demolish an unsafe one and bill the owner. The code makes these Class III offenses, subject to that class's maximum fine, and the City Controller's June 2024 investigation found the average residential demolition costs upward of $30,000.

Can you sell a condemned house in Philadelphia?

Yes. A condemned, unsafe or imminently dangerous house can be sold, but fewer buyers can take one on, because the buyer inherits the order and the Make Safe deadlines. Before you sell:

1. Protect your rights. If the designation is wrong or you need more time, the Board of Building Standards deadline is 5 business days.
2. Ask L&I where the case stands. If demolition is coming, every buyer needs to know before signing.
3. Have the papers ready. Showings are limited, so share the notice, any engineer's report and any repair bids.
4. Choose a buyer who can move quickly. The deadlines keep running after closing.

What happens if I ignore an L&I violation?

It gets more expensive, and the problem stays with the house.

• Fees, court and collections. Fees on a Notice of Violation keep adding up until it is resolved. L&I can file in Municipal Court or the Court of Common Pleas, where the court can add penalties, or send the debt to a collection agency. Unpaid fines can also block license renewals and permits.
• Clean and seal. L&I's Enforcement division cleans and seals open, vacant properties. The owner is billed, and a bill left unpaid for 30 days can become a lien. Demolition bills work the same way.
• A vacant license. An unoccupied house needs a Vacant Residential Property License unless it is being renovated. It costs $202 a year, you must be current on City taxes to renew, and skipping it can bring fines. The City's 311 guidance adds that on blocks at least 80% occupied, a vacant building needs real doors and windows, not plywood.

Liens do not stop a sale. They are paid from the sale money at closing. See selling a house with liens or back taxes.

Do I need permits to fix L&I violations?

Usually, yes. Passing the permit inspections is how a violation gets closed.

• Make Safe permit: for unsafe or imminently dangerous conditions only, not a renovation. A Pennsylvania-licensed engineer's report can take the place of plans. The filing fee is $25 for a one- or two-family house, credited toward the permit fee.
• EZ permits: for work that needs no plans, such as replacing a roof covering or masonry facade, and electrical, plumbing or mechanical work. Same-size window and door replacement on a one- or two-family house needs no permit unless it is historic.
• Building permit: for larger interior or exterior construction.

L&I requires a Philadelphia-licensed contractor. On an existing one- or two-family house, an owner who lives there, or a registered Pennsylvania Home Improvement Contractor with a Commercial Activity License, can also do the work. Electrical, plumbing, fire suppression and sheet metal work always need a contractor with that specific license, and historic properties need Historical Commission approval first.

Can I sell a house with open L&I violations?

Yes. No law stops the sale. The law makes sure the buyer knows, in three ways:

1. The City certificate. Pennsylvania's Property Sale Regulation Law makes it unlawful in Philadelphia to sell without first giving the buyer, at or before settlement, a City certificate disclosing any notice of an uncorrected housing, building, safety or fire violation. For violations, it covers every kind of building, rowhomes and twins included. Breaking the rule is a misdemeanor: a fine of up to $1,000, up to a year in jail, or both.
2. The agreement of sale. It must say whether any such notice exists. If it leaves that out, the law presumes you promised there were none.
3. The disclosure statement. For homes with one to four units, Pennsylvania's Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law requires a signed form listing the material defects you know about, delivered before the agreement of sale is signed. The state form asks whether you know of uncorrected zoning, housing, building safety or fire violations. An executor or administrator settling an estate is exempt from the form, but not from the certificate.

What does the buyer take on?

The violations stay with the house, along with any Make Safe deadlines. Under Pennsylvania's Municipal Code and Ordinance Compliance Act, as amended by Act 133 of 2016, a buyer of a property known to be in violation of a code must, within 12 months of the purchase, either bring it into compliance or demolish the building. The City or town can allow more time, but not less. A buyer who does neither can be personally liable for the cost of the work, plus a fine of $1,000 to $10,000. A buyer who wants to rent it out cannot get a Philadelphia rental license while L&I violations are outstanding (more in selling a house with tenants). That is why every buyer subtracts the cost of clearing violations from the price.

What are your options, and how does an as-is sale work?

Price at least two of these before you decide.

Selling as-is, step by step

1. Pull the record. Print the Atlas violations and order the Property Sales Certification.
2. Gather your papers. Notices, permits, engineer reports, contractor bids and any appeal papers help buyers price the work.
3. Get real numbers. A repair bid, an agent's opinion of value and at least one written cash offer.
4. Disclose in writing. The certificate, the agreement of sale and the disclosure form should match.
5. Close. The title company pays off your mortgage, any City liens, unpaid taxes and water bills from the price, and pays you the rest.

Honest money talk: a cash, as-is offer is usually below what the house could bring once repaired and cleared. The buyer pays for the repairs, permits and engineer, carries the house and takes the risk of what is behind the walls. You save the repair bills, growing fees, commissions and holding costs. More in selling a house as-is, how we calculate our offer and what it costs to sell in Philadelphia. Inherited the house? See selling an inherited house in Philadelphia.

Do the Pennsylvania suburbs and South Jersey work the same way?

Pennsylvania suburbs

Many suburban boroughs and townships require a resale use and occupancy (U&O) inspection before settlement. See local examples for Delaware County, PA and Montgomery County, PA. Under Act 133 of 2016, a failed inspection does not block an as-is sale. The town issues a temporary U&O when the violations are less serious, so the buyer can move in and fix them, or a temporary access certificate when a violation makes the house unfit to live in, so the buyer can make repairs before anyone moves in. The town cannot demand an escrow or a bond, and the buyer generally has 12 months to finish (more in our as-is guide).

South Jersey

Rules vary more from town to town. New Jersey requires one- and two-family homes to meet the state's smoke alarm rules before a sale, and some towns add their own resale inspection. Some are strict: Deptford Township's certificate of occupancy application says it is unlawful to sell a dwelling unit that has received a compliance order or notice of violation before the repairs are made. Call the town's code office as soon as you decide to sell, and see our South Jersey guide.

How can Vivid help?

Vivid Properties is a local, family-owned real estate investment company on Amber Street in Kensington. We buy Philadelphia houses in any condition, as-is, including ones with open L&I violations, unsafe notices or a condemned order. We take the violations with the house and deal with them after closing, so you do not repair or clean anything first.

You get a fair cash offer, usually within 24 hours. We pay all the closing costs, and there are no agent commissions and no fees from us. What still comes out of the price is only what you already owe against the house, such as a mortgage payoff, City liens, or unpaid taxes and water bills. You pick the closing day. If fixing a few items and listing would leave you better off, we will tell you. Before you sign with anyone, use our checklist for checking any cash buyer.

Get my cash offer Text or call (267) 551-5554

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. For your situation, talk to a Pennsylvania or New Jersey attorney or tax professional.