What are the steps to evict a tenant for unpaid rent in Pennsylvania?
In Pennsylvania, an eviction for unpaid rent runs through 5 steps, each set by the statute or court rule beside it: (1) Serve a 10-day notice to quit for nonpayment — 68 P.S. § 250.501(b); (2) File a landlord/tenant complaint — Pa. R.C.P.M.D.J. 502; (3) Hearing, 7 to 15 days after filing — Pa. R.C.P.M.D.J. 503; (4) Ten days to appeal, then an order for possession — Pa. R.C.P.M.D.J. 1002, 1008; (5) Order for possession — 10 days’ notice — Pa. R.C.P.M.D.J. 515, 518. The ten-day notice for nonpayment may be waived by the lease, and many Pennsylvania leases do waive it. Read the lease before serving. Philadelphia adds requirements of its own. The procedure as a whole is set by 68 P.S. §§ 250.501, 250.502, 250.503; Pa. R.C.P.M.D.J. 501–521.
| What | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Court | Magisterial District Court for the district where the property is. In Philadelphia, the Municipal Court. |
| Steps with a citation | 5 |
| Cities with their own rules on file | Philadelphia |
Notes
The ten-day notice for nonpayment may be waived by the lease, and many Pennsylvania leases do waive it. Read the lease before serving.
Source
68 P.S. §§ 250.501, 250.502, 250.503; Pa. R.C.P.M.D.J. 501–521
Read the statute in the Pennsylvania Statutes (Pennsylvania General Assembly): palegis.us.
Checked against the statute on September 7, 2026.
This is a summary of the published procedure, not legal advice. Courts, local rules and the facts of a tenancy change what applies, and a defect in a notice or a filing can end a case. Have a lawyer review anything before it is served or filed.
How Seayora uses this rule
Seayora does not file, serve or appear in an eviction, and is not anybody’s lawyer. When a tenant has stopped paying, it lays out these steps for the property’s own state and city with the statute beside each one, holds back any step that would come too early, keeps an append-only record of the case — and shows the resident what would end it, legal-aid links included.
Guides on this rule
- Can a Landlord Send an Eviction Notice by Email or Text? — The federal E-SIGN Act excludes eviction notices, so state law decides how a notice to pay or quit must be served. California, New York and Florida rules.
- Landlord Retaliation Laws: Protected Tenant Acts and Time Limits — When an eviction, rent increase or cut in services is presumed retaliatory: 180 days in California, six months in Texas, a year in New York.
- The CARES Act 30-Day Notice to Vacate: Is It Still Required? — The CARES Act 30-day notice to vacate still applies to properties with federally backed mortgages or federal assistance. Which properties are covered, and why.
- VAWA Housing Protections: What Assisted-Housing Landlords Must Do — The Violence Against Women Act protects survivors in public housing, vouchers, LIHTC and other assisted housing. Who it covers and what owners must do.
Compare this rule in every state
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- How long does a tenant have to respond to an eviction case in Pennsylvania?
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- Every Pennsylvania rule on one page
The same question in other states
- Arizona
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- District of Columbia
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