How much can a landlord charge for a rental application fee in Pennsylvania?
In Pennsylvania, from 21 December 2026 a landlord or a landlord’s agent may charge a rental application fee only in an amount reasonably related to the actual administrative expenses incurred, and may not use application fees as a general source of revenue. Added to the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 as section 208 by Act 67 of 2026, approved October 22, 2026 and in force sixty days later. Before then no Pennsylvania statute limited an application fee. This is 68 P.S. § 250.208.
| What | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Application fee | Actual administrative cost (from December 21, 2026) |
Notes
Added to the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 as section 208 by Act 67 of 2026, approved October 22, 2026 and in force sixty days later. Before then no Pennsylvania statute limited an application fee.
Source
68 P.S. § 250.208
Read the statute in the Pennsylvania Statutes (Pennsylvania General Assembly): palegis.us.
Checked against the statute on November 11, 2026.
This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.
How Seayora uses this rule
This page states what the state allows a landlord to charge somebody applying to rent, so a fee can be checked against it before it is advertised or collected.
Guides on this rule
- FCRA Adverse Action Notices: What Landlords Must Tell Applicants — When a screening report leads you to deny an applicant or ask for more, the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires a notice. What it must say, with the statute.
- Reusable Tenant Screening Reports: When Landlords Must Accept Them — Colorado requires landlords to accept a portable screening report; California, Maryland and Washington set disclosure and fee rules; New York waives the fee.
- Tenant Screening: What Landlords Need to Know — How to screen rental applicants fairly and legally: credit and background checks, consistent criteria, the FCRA’s adverse action notice and fair housing.
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The same question in other states
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New Jersey
- New York
- Oregon
- Rhode Island