I had an identical situation shortly after moving to Toronto decades ago during another real estate peak (I talk of peaks, because the boom never ends). I was an exemplary tenant, but when my landlord decided to sell her duplex, I took that in stride. I had a lease, but preferred to negotiate my exit, receiving full moving costs and a month's rent (a fair deal considering I had only moved in six months earlier). It was her right to sell the duplex and move on, and it was my right to offer her an early lease termination in exchange for compensation. We both got what we wanted. The building was sold, and demolished. That's life. But the suggestion to rent with a signed lease that can be enforced is the right one. There is no point in holding out if the landlord sells, because it's important to have a good relationship with the property owner.