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L&I Violations

L&I Violations? We Buy the Property As-Is.

Philadelphia L&I violations piling up? We buy properties with open violations, no questions asked.

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Philadelphia rowhouse with an open L&I compliance case

Start with the facts, not the pressure

An L&I case is specific to Philadelphia and to the notice issued. The Department of Licenses and Inspections uses warning notices, violation notices and orders to correct, site or licensing notices, stop-work orders, and cease-operations orders. Start with the violation number, code section, issue date, status, inspector or district office, and appeal language on the document. Do not use a neighbor's deadline or a contractor's memory. Philadelphia says an open violation remains until the required correction and fees are completed or an appeal is upheld.

Selling as-is does not mean ignoring an unsafe condition or assuming the City will transfer every obligation to a buyer. Some work needs permits, professional reports, inspection, or reinspection. City-performed sealing, cleanup, or demolition can also create a bill or lien that a title company needs to resolve before sale. Kaizen can evaluate the property in its current condition and accept specified repair responsibility after closing, but the contract and settlement plan must match L&I status, public-safety orders, and recorded City claims.

The Problem

Philadelphia's Department of Licenses and Inspections doesn't wait around. Open violations mean daily fines, court dates, and a property no traditional buyer will touch. Fixing violations can cost tens of thousands — money you may not have — and the city can condemn the property if you wait too long.

How Kaizen Helps

We buy properties with open L&I violations and handle them after closing. You walk away with cash and zero liability for the violations. No fines, no court dates, no contractors.

Sell in 3 Simple Steps

Tell Us About Your Property

Fill out our quick form or give us a call. It takes less than 2 minutes.

Get Your Cash Offer

We'll research your property and make a fair, no-obligation cash offer within 24 hours.

Close on Your Timeline

Pick your closing date — typically 14-30 days. We handle all paperwork and closing costs.

A practical process for l&i violations

Build the case file from the actual notice

Collect every notice, order, permit, inspection report, contractor proposal, engineer letter, photo, fee statement, and appeal record. Look up the property's current L&I history and compare it with the paper file. Confirm whether the item concerns maintenance, construction without permits, licensing, zoning or use, fire safety, vacancy, an unsafe structure, or work stopped in progress. A label such as open violations is not enough for pricing because the compliance path and urgency depend on the exact code and order.

Separate safety work from ordinary correction

If L&I identifies an unsafe or imminently dangerous condition, follow the notice and qualified safety direction before buyer access. Philadelphia publishes shorter appeal timing for those categories than for an ordinary initial violation and uses Make Safe permits for dangerous structures. Do not enter, occupy, or perform unpermitted work simply to improve a sale photo. For routine cases, ask the inspector or district office what documentation, permits, licensed work, reports, fees, and reinspection are needed to close the record.

Price the work and the unresolved risk

Get a repair or compliance estimate if access is safe, then compare it with an as-is purchase deduction. We consider visible condition, remaining permits, professional reports, contractor scope, debris, carrying time, City fees, title claims, and uncertainty in areas that cannot be inspected. The offer is not an L&I compliance determination. It is the price at which Kaizen would accept the written condition and closing plan. A seller can use that number beside an agent's post-repair price opinion before choosing where to spend.

Coordinate L&I, title, and possession

The contract should identify known violations, agreed work, access restrictions, contents, and the condition delivered at closing. The settlement company searches liens and requests payoff information for City-performed abatement bills when applicable. Ask L&I what owner, permit, or reinspection steps remain after transfer and do not advertise an unsafe property as occupiable. At funding, the closing statement should show approved deductions, while the buyer receives the case documents needed to continue any responsibility it expressly accepted.

Your options compared

For l&i violations, the right route depends on time, condition, authority, and the net result you can actually close.

Route	When it fits	Preparation and timing	Main tradeoff
Correct, then list	Best when the owner can fund compliant work, obtain permits and inspections, and expects retail buyers to pay enough more after L&I closes the case.	Plan qualified contractors, reports, permits, fees, reinspection, cleaning, listing access, buyer inspection, and appraisal if financed.	Closing the case may widen the buyer pool, but cost, permit timing, hidden work, and the eventual retail negotiation remain uncertain.
Sell it yourself	Possible when the owner can disclose the case accurately, control safe access, verify the buyer, and obtain professional contract and title help.	You manage the L&I file, pricing, inquiries, permits or orders, buyer diligence, City payoff questions, and closing coordination.	Avoiding an agent fee preserves control, but an uninformed or underfunded buyer may not accept the compliance path after review.
Direct cash sale	Useful when the property needs substantial work and the owner prefers a defined as-is buyer with the violation facts disclosed up front.	Provide safe access and the complete L&I record. Cosmetic repairs and public staging are not required for our evaluation.	The offer is reduced for correction and resale risk, while unsafe orders, City claims, title, and transfer requirements still need an approved plan.

L&I Violations questions

Can a Philadelphia property be sold with open L&I violations?

A transaction may be possible, but the answer depends on the exact order, safety status, permits, fees, occupancy, buyer agreement, and title requirements. Provide the full case file to the buyer and settlement company. Do not assume an as-is clause overrides L&I enforcement.

How long do I have to appeal an L&I notice?

Read the notice immediately. Philadelphia's violation guide states that an initial violation notice generally carries a 30-day appeal period, while unsafe or imminently dangerous violations have a six-day period, and final notices cannot be appealed. Ask the proper board or counsel to confirm your deadline.

Do I need permits before fixing the cited work?

It depends on the code item and scope. Philadelphia's resolution guidance identifies cases requiring permits, qualified professionals, reports, certifications, or reinspection. An unsafe structure may require a Make Safe permit. Ask L&I or a qualified Philadelphia professional before starting work.

What happens to an L&I abatement bill or lien?

Philadelphia says City work such as sealing, cleanup, or demolition can produce bills or liens, and title companies often request a payoff to finalize a sale. The settlement team should identify the claim and show its treatment on the closing statement. A repair agreement alone doesn't release it.

How does Kaizen price a house with L&I issues?

We review relevant sales, current condition, the written violations, safe access, professional and permit needs, debris, City charges, holding time, and resale risk. Those expected costs reduce the as-is offer. Ask us to explain the major deductions so you can compare them with correcting the property before listing.

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