Your Philly rowhome has open L&I violations. Maybe a few. Maybe twenty. Maybe a demolition order that's making your stomach hurt every time you look at the mail.
You can still sell. Here's what actually happens, what transfers to a buyer, and what your real options are.
What L&I violations are
L&I stands for Licenses & Inspections — the Philadelphia department that enforces building code, zoning, and housing standards. When an inspector visits a property and finds a code issue, they issue a violation notice.
Common Philly violations:
- Maintain exterior property surfaces — peeling paint, deteriorated stucco, missing siding
- Install operational smoke detectors
- Repair/remove deteriorated roof
- Correct unsafe electrical
- Obtain required permits for prior work
- Provide adequate handrails
- Demolish unsafe structure (rare but serious)
Violations start as a notice. If you don't respond, they escalate to hearings, judgments, and penalty fees that accumulate monthly.
Violations don't stop a sale
Here's the thing most homeowners don't know: you can sell a house with open L&I violations. The violations transfer with the property to the new owner.
Traditional real estate agents sometimes hesitate to list properties with serious violations, because mortgage lenders often require them cleared before closing. That's where cash buyers come in — we don't need lender approval, so we can buy as-is.
What transfers vs. what stays with you
What transfers with the property:
- The violation itself (the "fix this" notice)
- Ongoing enforcement responsibility
- Any required repairs or demolition orders
What stays with you:
- Fines and penalties that have already accumulated in your name
- Judgments the city has entered against you personally
- Hearing dates you were personally summoned to
For cash sales, we typically negotiate to have pre-closing fines paid out of the sale proceeds at closing. You walk away clean.
What to do first
Before deciding how to sell, know what you're dealing with.
Pull a full L&I history on your property:
- Go to eclipse.phila.gov
- Enter your property address
- Review all open and closed violations
- Note any that require structural work or demolition
If you see something confusing, call the L&I main line: 215-686-8686.
Three paths to selling with violations
Path 1: Clear the violations, then sell traditionally
If the violations are minor (paint, smoke detectors, small repairs) and you can afford $5,000-$15,000 of fix-up work, clearing them opens up traditional buyers and better pricing.
Process:
- Hire a contractor to make the corrections
- Schedule an L&I re-inspection
- Receive a Certificate of Use/Occupancy or clearance letter
- Then list with an agent
Timeline: 2-4 months, plus listing time.
Path 2: Sell to a cash investor with violations in place
This is what we do. We buy with violations open, take over responsibility at closing, and clear them ourselves afterward.
Process:
- Send us the address
- We walk through (or check photos)
- We make a cash offer that factors in the violation clearance cost
- We close in 30-60 days
- You walk away clean
Timeline: 3-8 weeks total.
Path 3: Walk away
If the house has a demolition order, no equity, and you can't afford to fix or sell, walking away may be the only option. It destroys your credit for years and there can be tax implications, but sometimes it's the only path. Talk to a lawyer first.
Special case: demolition orders
Demolition orders are the most serious L&I outcome. They mean the city has determined the property is unsafe and needs to come down.
If you have a demolition order:
- The clock matters. The city can sometimes demolish quickly.
- Some demolition orders can be contested or delayed with proper legal action.
- Cash sales are still sometimes possible if we can close before demolition.
If you're facing demolition, call us today — time is the critical variable.
What we typically buy
In the last 4 years, we've closed Philly houses with:
- 15+ open violations (multiple blocks in Kensington)
- Active hearings pending
- Exterior-maintenance orders going back 5 years
- Structural deficiencies requiring expensive repairs
We factor violation clearance costs into our offer. Sometimes that brings the number down. But it beats letting the violations accumulate while you figure out what to do.
The real cost of doing nothing
Every month a violation sits open, penalty fees accumulate. Most run $150-$300 per violation per month after the initial correction window passes. If you have 10 violations at $200/month each, that's $2,000/month piling up.
The city can also put a lien on your property for unpaid penalties. Liens can eventually lead to sheriff sale if they accumulate enough.
Doing nothing isn't free. Selling — even at a discount — often nets more than watching fines compound for years.
When to call us
If your house has 3+ open violations and you can't afford to clear them, call. If you've received a demolition order, call today. If you're tired of the L&I letters and want to be done with the property, call.
We'll tell you what the clearance cost looks like, what that means for the offer, and whether we can help.
Watson Saintsulne is the Director of Sales at The Covenant Real Estate Investment Group LLC. Covenant specializes in distressed Philadelphia properties, including homes with open L&I violations.