Landlord selling building

What is the name of your state? New York
My Landlord is selling the building I rent an apartment in and has sent us a letter saying that he will close on the sale either in late September, or early October. He has asked me to pay rent for September, but he can't guarantee that he will own the building through the month. My question is should I pay him? We do not have a formal lease for the apartment, but he is holding a security deposit that he claims will transfer over when he transfers ownership.

Yes pay him the rent and get a reciept.

The new owner assumes your tenancy,AND your security deposit. But the new owners will probably give you a 30 day notice to vacate or a rent increase, you could negoitate using the security as your last months rent, with either owner...

so how fast do you want to move?

BC from CA.

Yes you should pay rent for September. Any days you are not in the apt. should be prorated in the end.

Also, if you're in a rent control area, you should qualify for relocation assistance. Check the laws in your area. In CA we have what is called the Rent Stabilization Board.

[abezon]

What proration? Your new LL takes the building subject to your tenancy. You still have to give proper notice to terminate tenancy if you're month to month, or stay until the lease ends if you have a lease. If you have a month to month, you might want to get a lease from the new LLs to lock in your current rent & tenancy for at least a year.