Unfortunately, as a tenant you’ll likely be the last to know if your house is in foreclosure and unless you find out early, you won’t be left with any time to find another home. If you’re having suspicions about your landlord, it’s better to try and find out rather than just hoping everything will sort itself out. Here are some of the things you can do to hopefully find out if your home is in foreclosure:
Ask your landlord. It may seem a little poignant, but no harm ever came from asking a question, especially if it’s one that can directly affect you. If they are suffering financially, don’t expect a 100% truthful answer. If you get an answer from your landlord but are still unconvinced:
Check with the local council. Every council will have records of foreclosures, so checking with them would be the most reliable. Either contact them via their website and ask for information on the subject or find their office in your town and ask there.
Read the newspaper. They have foreclosure notices within them and so, if your house is mentioned then you have your answer. You can check up past newspapers at the library or online. This method will be time consuming, so don’t start with this, ask your landlord first.
There are web-based companies that keep a track of foreclosures. Www.hud.gov is the official site for the US department of Housing and Urban Development.
If it turns out that your home is under foreclosure, then at least you found out early and can start planning for the immediate future. It’s unfair on the tenant that they are usually the last to know, but what keeps them in the dark is the landlord not wanting to cause the tenants any unnecessary stress. If the landlord can fix the problem, the tenants would be none the wiser, but sadly, if it goes awry, the tenant is usually the last to know.
