I assume the lease is unchanged, it just is transferred to a new party. Any more to it than that? Missouri BTW.

Could be as simple as a different name to put on the rent check and a different place to send it.

He should read the lease and see If it says anything about such a turn of events. It's possible the lease he has signed is no longer valid. I don't know anything about Missouri law, and it's been over a week since I stayed in a Holiday Inn.

Wouldnt he have to sign a new lease?

Weird situation.

Not uncommon. House sales fall through all of the time. Sometimes one investor buys a house to simply lease it and having a tenant already in there is a bonus. The terms of the lease shouldn't change. The big wild card is what happens when the lease is up.

Skeptical me here. How was he informed, by the person he originally rented it from or the new owner?

Personally I would want an official notification from the original rental agent or property owner, not the new owner.

I would be concerned that it could be a fraudulent attempt of someone trying to collect money.

Of course I am not an attorney, nor have I played one. Just have heard of too many scam artists trying to separate people from their money.