Sell a house with code violations or a City order in Buffalo, NY
Yes, you can sell a house in Buffalo with open code violations, a City repair order, or a condemned placard on the door, without fixing anything first. We buy houses with violations as they are, in Buffalo and across Erie and Niagara Counties. You get a cash offer within 24 hours, usually by phone. We pay for all repairs. If the City has ordered the house repaired or demolished, we handle the order after closing. We cover all closing costs, and there are no commissions. No cleanout required. Take what you want, leave what you don’t. We’ll take care of the rest.
- 350+ houses bought and sold
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- Buying Western New York houses since 2020
Get your cash offer
Cash offer within 24 hours, usually by phone.
What we buy
Messy situations are what we do. We buy Buffalo houses with:
- Open code violations from the City’s Division of Permit & Inspection Services
- A notice to repair, or an unsafe-building order to repair or demolish
- A condemned (unsafe) placard, or a house posted as unfit to live in
- A board-up notice, or a house the City has already boarded
- A rental that failed its inspection or has no Certificate of Rental Compliance
- A Housing Court case over the violations
- City charges for board-up, securing or demolition work on the tax bill
Get your cash offer
Cash offer within 24 hours, usually by phone.
How it works
1. Call or send the address. You get a cash offer within 24 hours, usually by phone. We look at the house, the condition, comparable sales nearby, and what it will take to bring it to market. You get a written offer with the price and the closing date.
2. Tell us what the City sent. The notice, the order, or the Housing Court papers, if you have them. If you don’t, the address is enough to start.
3. Leave the repairs to us. We pay for all repairs. If there’s a City repair or demolish order, we handle the order after closing. Charges the City has already billed, and anything added to the tax account, are usually paid off from the sale at closing.
4. Close on your date. Most closings take 14–30 days. If the title is clear and ready, we can close in as little as 5 days. We cover all closing costs.
How code enforcement works in Buffalo
Who writes the violations. The City of Buffalo’s Division of Permit & Inspection Services inspects houses and cites violations of the housing and building codes, each with a deadline to fix. Source: City of Buffalo, Permit & Inspection Services.
Where the case goes. Violations that aren’t fixed can go to Buffalo Housing Court, the Housing Part of Buffalo City Court, at 50 Delaware Avenue. It can order violations removed, appoint a receiver, and award the City its costs for correcting a nuisance. If you get a Housing Court summons, respond to it. The case keeps going whether or not you show up. Source: New York State Unified Court System, Buffalo City Court.
The 30-day and 4-day clocks. An unsafe-building notice under Chapter 113 of the City Code orders the owner to repair or demolish, and the owner must start the work within 30 days of service. A board-up notice under Chapter 341 can give you four days to enclose the building. Source: Buffalo City Code §113-10 and §341-13.
If nobody acts. The City can do the work itself and assess the cost against the land, and owners are personally liable for demolition costs. Source: Buffalo City Code §113-10 and §113-14. That means a demolition bill sent to you personally may not go away just because the house sold, so get it in writing from the City when a charge is paid.
Rentals. Under Buffalo’s Proactive Rental Inspection program, non-owner-occupied one- and two-family rentals need a Certificate of Rental Compliance. A rental that fails can’t operate as an income property until it passes. Source: City of Buffalo, Proactive Rental Inspection program.
Look up your address. The City’s open data site, data.buffalony.gov, has searchable Code Violations, Housing Court Cases, Inspections and Permits datasets. You can also call 311 and ask whether there’s an open order on the address. Source: City of Buffalo Open Data; City of Buffalo 311.
Disclosure. Selling as it is doesn’t remove the duty to disclose. In most sales of a one- to four-family house, the seller still gives the buyer a Property Condition Disclosure Statement, unless the sale is exempt, such as a sale by an executor settling an estate. Source: New York Real Property Law §462 and §463.
Outside the City. In the towns and villages of Erie County, and in Niagara County, code enforcement is handled by the local building department, and the City of Buffalo rules on this page don’t apply. Call your town, village or city building department for the file.
From Recent Deals
Messy situations are what we do. Real sales from our records. Seller last names and street addresses are left out to protect the sellers.
Estate · Buffalo 14220
Fire damage, a hospital lien and an estate
She was the administrator of a relative's estate. The house had fire damage and code violations, her mortgage payoff check came back because it wasn't signed as administrator, and a hospital lien turned up on title.
We checked in every week or two, offered the name of an estate attorney, and moved quickly once the Surrogate's Court issued her Letters of Administration. We covered all closing costs.
- First call to closing: about 11 weeks
- Paid: to the estate's account
Vacant · Buffalo 14215
A vandalized five-bedroom that needed a roof
A vacant five-bedroom that squatters had vandalized needed a new roof, and the seller's belongings were still inside.
We called back and met her in person the same day, and kept her updated by text until the attorney's calendar opened for closing.
- First call to closing: about 5 weeks
- Paid: check at the closing attorney's office
Why traditional buyers walk
A buyer using a mortgage needs the house to pass the lender’s appraisal, and serious safety problems or a posted house can stop the loan. That usually leaves cash and renovation buyers. If the violations are minor, like peeling paint or missing gutters, fixing them and listing may bring you more. If listing would net you more, we’ll say so.
We can’t make a cash offer on every house, and if ours isn’t a good fit, we’ll tell you first.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to fix the violations before I sell?
Not to sell to us. We buy the house as it is and pay for all repairs. If the City has issued a repair or demolish order, we handle the order after closing.
Will the City fines go away if I sell?
Don’t count on it. Charges already billed or on the tax account are usually paid off from the sale at closing. Some, like a demolition bill, can be owed by you personally, so get written proof from the City once a charge is paid.
Can I sell a condemned house in Buffalo?
Yes. A condemned placard doesn’t stop a sale. Check the date on your notice and any hearing date, because the 30-day clock to start work runs from service. Our guide to a condemned house in Buffalo explains the notice and the hearing.
I have a Housing Court case. Can I still sell?
Yes, but the case doesn’t end by itself. Keep responding to the court, and bring the case number and your next court date when we talk.
I inherited a house with violations. What happens?
The executor or administrator can sell once the Surrogate’s Court issues Letters. We can sign a purchase contract early and close once Letters are issued.
How fast can you close?
Most closings take 14–30 days. If the title is clear and ready, we can close in as little as 5 days.
Tell us what the City sent
Give us the address and your phone. When we call, tell us the date on your latest notice and any court date. We’ll tell you honestly whether a cash sale makes sense.
Get your cash offer
Cash offer within 24 hours, usually by phone.
General information about City of Buffalo code enforcement and New York law as of November 2026, not legal advice. Rust Belt Cash Offer is a home buyer, not a law firm.
