Sell a Vacant House in Philadelphia

The short version

At Vivid Properties, we buy empty houses as-is, whether they've sat a few months or a few years, missing licenses and open violations included.
In Philadelphia, a house nobody lives in needs a Vacant Residential Property License from L&I. It's $202 a year, you have to be current on City taxes to renew it, and you don't need one while the house is being renovated.
On a block that's at least 80% lived in, plywood doesn't count. The City wants real doors and windows, and the fine is $300 per opening per day.
Squatters? Report them to the police for criminal trespassing. Getting them out for good takes a court case called an ejectment.
If L&I has to seal the house and the bill sits unpaid for 30 days, it can turn into a lien.

Maybe the house is empty because a parent passed or moved into care. Maybe a tenant left and you never re-rented it, or you moved and it just sat. However it happened, you've got choices, and none of them start with fixing it up.

Can I sell a vacant house in Philadelphia as-is?

Yes. At Vivid Properties, we buy vacant houses as-is: no cleanout, no repairs, and no need to catch up on the license first. If the house needs work, that's ours to handle after closing.

Every sale in Philadelphia needs a Property Sales Certification from L&I. It costs $139, takes about five business days, and lists the zoning and any uncorrected housing, building, safety or fire violations. So an empty house with open violations shows up on paper, and that's fine with us. Our guide to selling with L&I violations explains how violations work.

Does an empty house in Philadelphia need a license?

Yes, unless it's being renovated. If you own a house nobody's living in, L&I requires a Vacant Residential Property License, and skipping it can bring fines and violations. You don't need it if the house has a current rental license, and once someone lives there legally, it isn't vacant anymore.

Philadelphia's vacant-house rule sheet, from L&I and Philly311, checked November 10, 2026
Rule	What the City says	What it means for you
The license	Required for an unoccupied residential property. Not needed while it's being renovated, or if it has a current rental license.	Empty and nobody's working on it? You need one.
Before you apply	You need a Commercial Activity License or an Activity License Number, and the City says a vacant license uses the Activity License Number. Both are free. The vacant license is issued to whoever's on that license and your Philadelphia Tax Account.	Yes, even for a family house. Get the free number first.
Cost	$202 a year. The first $20 is a non-refundable application fee, paid up front, and the rest is due once you're approved.	About $17 a month
Renewing	Every year, and you have to be current on all City taxes	Back taxes block the renewal
Renewing late	More than 60 days late adds 1.5% of the fee for each month since it expired	About $3 a month. The fines are the bigger risk.
Doors and windows	On blocks at least 80% occupied, real doors and windows where there should be. Plywood isn't enough. Fines are $300 per opening per day.	A front door and two windows boarded up could mean $900 a day
Complaints	After a 311 report, L&I inspects within 20 business days. You get 30 calendar days to fix what it finds, and the house can go to court after three failed inspections.	A neighbor's call starts a clock
City sealing and cleanup	L&I can seal up a vacant building, remove rubbish or tear down an unsafe one, and bill you. A bill left unpaid for 30 days can become a lien.	Title companies often need these paid to finish a sale
Selling	A Property Sales Certification is required, $139, about five business days	It lists the open violations
Squatters	Report them to police for criminal trespassing. The owner removes them through a writ of ejectment. L&I can't clean and seal while squatters are inside.	Call the police, then a lawyer

To apply, go online through eCLIPSE, the City's license system, where applications are reviewed within five business days. Or make an appointment at the Permit and License Center, 1401 John F. Kennedy Blvd. Questions go to 311, or (215) 686-8686 from outside Philadelphia.

What are the rules for doors, windows and keeping it secure?

Keep it closed up with real doors and windows if the block is mostly lived in. The City's Doors and Windows Ordinance makes owners of vacant houses responsible for upkeep, and on a block that's at least 80% occupied, boarding up with plywood doesn't meet it. Owners who don't comply face fines of $300 per opening per day.

Neighbors can report an empty house through 311, and L&I's Vacant Property Unit takes questions at [email protected]. If the house is open to the weather or to trespassers, L&I can seal it and send you the bill. Those bills, and any liens they turn into, get paid off from the sale at closing when you sell. Our guide to liens and back taxes covers how payoffs work.

What does an empty house cost you each month?

It adds up faster than you'd think. Fill this in with your real bills, then multiply by the months you think it'll take to sell or fix. That's what waiting costs you.

Monthly cost worksheet for an empty house
Bill	Notes	Your monthly cost
Real Estate Tax	Divide the yearly bill by 12. The Homestead Exemption, worth up to $1,399 a year for most homeowners, is for owners who live in the house.
Water and sewer	Your water bill, even with nobody using it
Gas and electric	Enough heat to keep the pipes from freezing
Insurance	Ask your agent whether you need a vacant-house policy
Vacant license	$202 a year	About $17
Upkeep	Grass, snow, trash, gutters
Checking on it	Gas, tolls, a neighbor's help, or a service
Surprises	Leaks, frozen pipes, break-ins, L&I fines
Total each month

Will your insurance still cover an empty house?

Don't assume it will. Policies spell out what happens when a house sits empty, and they don't all say the same thing. Read the part of your policy about vacancy or unoccupancy, then call your insurance agent the week the house goes empty. Ask what's covered, for how long, and whether you need a different policy, and get the answer in writing. Finding out after a burst pipe is the expensive way.

What can you do about squatters or break-ins?

Move fast, and let the police and the court do the removing.

If someone's breaking in right now, call 911.
Report squatters to the police. The City's 311 guidance says people living in a vacant property without permission are reported to police for criminal trespassing.
Talk to a lawyer about ejectment. The City says the owner removes squatters through a writ of ejectment. That's a civil court case, so it takes a filing and some time.
Keep proof the house is yours. The deed, tax and water bills, and the estate's letters if you're handling it for a family member.
Close it up once they're out. L&I can't clean and seal a house while squatters are inside, so securing it falls to you after they leave.

Don't try to move people out yourself or shut off their utilities. Let the police and the court handle it, and get a lawyer's advice before you act.

To head off trouble: visit often, keep the yard and steps cleared so the house looks cared for, lock the basement and back doors, and give a trusted neighbor your number.

How do you protect an empty house in winter?

Keep water from freezing and keep an eye on it. A few habits go a long way:

Heat or drain. Keep the heat on low, or have a plumber shut off the water and drain the lines.
Check after storms and hard freezes. Look under sinks, at the ceilings and in the basement.
Keep it looking lived in. Shovel the walk, forward the mail, and put a lamp on a timer.
Clear the gutters. Ice and clogged downspouts push water into rowhome walls and ceilings.

What are your options for a vacant house?

You can keep it, rent it, fix it or sell it. Each one fits a different family:

Options for an empty house in Philadelphia
Option	Works well when	The catch
Sell it to us as-is	You're done carrying it, it needs work, or you live far away	Our price will be less than the house could bring fixed up and listed, because we take on the repairs and the risk
Fix it up and list it	You have the money and months to spare for repairs	The monthly bills keep running while you fix and wait, then commission and closing costs
Rent it out	You want income and are ready to be a landlord	A rental license ($69 per unit), current City taxes, no open L&I violations, and a lead-safe or lead-free certificate for a house built before March 1978
Move in, or let family move in	Someone needs a place to live	Repairs, but once someone lives there legally, the vacant license is no longer needed
Keep it empty for now	You're waiting on probate or a family decision	The license, the bills and the risk of break-ins

If fixing it up and listing would leave you with more money, we'll say so, and you can decide from there.

What if the house is empty because the owner died or moved away?

We buy those houses too. Whoever's handling the estate can deal with the license and the sale. If the house is still in a late relative's name and nobody's opened an estate, start with our guide to tangled titles in Philadelphia. If the estate is open, our guide to selling an inherited house covers probate and taxes.

Do the suburbs and South Jersey have rules for empty houses?

Philadelphia's vacant license is a City rule, so it stops at the city line. Outside the city, ask your township or borough (or your town in New Jersey) what it expects from the owner of an empty house before it sits for long. We buy vacant houses in Delaware County, PA, Bucks County, Montgomery County, PA and South Jersey too.

How can we help?

At Vivid Properties, we're a local, family-owned company, and we buy empty houses in the city, the suburbs and South Jersey. Call or text and a real local person picks up. Tell us the address and what you know about the house, and you'll usually have our written offer within 24 hours.

We pay all the closing costs. Back taxes, water bills, L&I bills and any other liens are paid off from the sale at closing, and you pick the closing day. More on selling in the city is on our Philadelphia page.

“Absolute pleasure to deal with. Very easy process, highly recommend!”
Aaron C. · Google review

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Questions owners of empty houses ask us

How much is a vacant property license in Philadelphia?

$202 a year, including a $20 application fee you don't get back. Renewal is $202 a year, you have to be current on City taxes to renew, and renewing more than 60 days late adds 1.5% of the fee for each month since it expired.

Do I need the license if I'm fixing the house up?

No. The City says you don't need it while the property is being renovated. You also don't need it if the house has a current rental license.

Can I cover the windows with plywood?

Not if the block is at least 80% occupied. There, the City requires real doors and windows, and fines are $300 per opening per day.

How do I get squatters out of my house in Philadelphia?

Report them to the police for criminal trespassing. The City says the owner then removes them through a writ of ejectment, which is a court case, so talk to a lawyer. Don't try to remove them yourself.

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

Yes. We buy vacant houses with open violations, and you don't fix anything first. The violations show up on the $139 Property Sales Certification that every Philadelphia sale needs.

Do you buy houses that have been empty for years?

Yes. Leaks, a dead heater, a full basement or a stack of L&I notices change our price, not whether we'll buy.

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

Selling a Vacant House in Philadelphia