Received a letter two days ago saying house is going for tax lien sale on 10/4/12. Landlord will not do any repairs that are needed and won't respond to our calls. If the house is sold, do we still pay rent to the old landlord or what? If sold, how long do we have to get out. Planning on moving in March anyway because of the problems. Please help.

Until the house is sold you pay rent to the owner. If the owner is refusing to do necessary repairs you report it to the housing department. Once you do that, you may be able to pay for the repairs out of the rent.

And your rent is due 10/1? Pay the September rent. Make arrangements to put the October rent in escrow. If the sale goes as scheduled, that month's rent might need to be apportioned between the current owner and the new owner.

Do you have a lease?

...If sold, how long do we have to get out. ...

I read the Protecting Tenants at Forclosure Act (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/real-estate-law/paying-rent-when-property-foreclosure-316199-2.html) as applying in the case of a tax lien foreclosure. If so, you have 90 days after you receive notice from the new owner, or the remaining term of your lease, whichever is greater.

Also, and could have sworn I answered this today,

But what type of tax sale, in many states, the buyer only gets a tax lien, not a tax deed. And they have to wait about a year to actually take ownership of the property.

Also if the property has a lien holder, seldom do they let it sell for taxes but they pay the taxes at the last minute. Only about 20 percent of properties advertised for tax sale actually sell at the auction but are paid or payment arranged prior to sale.

If the buyer only gets a tax lien, the owner still owns it, till the redemption period is over.

If the buyer gets a actual tax deed. They become the owner the day of the sale.

Of if It was me, I would go bid on the property sale. You may get the house for very little.
I used to buy them all the time

No, we do not have a lease. Have been on a month to month situation for about a year and a half.