Local landlord and tenant rules in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has local rules on good cause eviction (Phila. Code § 9-804(12) (as amended by Bill No. 250330-AA, effective November 1, 2026)), rental registration (Phila. Code §§ 9-3902, 9-3903), inspections before a new tenant (Phila. Code § 6-803) and 1 more kind of rule, on top of Pennsylvania law.
Local rules in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Good cause eviction
Since November 1, 2026, a Philadelphia landlord may not end a tenancy when any lease expires — or file to evict — without good cause, and must tell the tenant in writing, with reasonable specificity, what the good cause is, on the same schedule as a rent-increase notice: 60 days for a tenancy of a year or more, 30 for a shorter one. Without that notice the lease renews month to month. Good cause includes habitual non-payment or late payment of rent and a breach of a material lease term; the tenant may challenge it before the Fair Housing Commission within 15 business days, and the rule does not apply when the landlord has lived in the unit since the tenancy began.
Source: Phila. Code § 9-804(12) (as amended by Bill No. 250330-AA, effective November 1, 2026). Checked on November 11, 2026.
Rental registration
A Philadelphia rental needs a rental license from the Department of Licenses and Inspections, and no rent may be collected for a unit without a valid one. At the start of every tenancy the owner must also give the tenant a Certificate of Rental Suitability issued no more than 60 days earlier, with the City’s “Partners for Good Housing” handbook.
Source: Phila. Code §§ 9-3902, 9-3903. Checked on November 11, 2026.
Inspections before a new tenant
Every Philadelphia rental built before 1978 must be certified lead-safe or lead-free by a certified inspector before a lease is signed or renewed and before a rental license is issued or renewed; the landlord gives the tenant a copy of the certificate and files it with the Department of Public Health, and a lead-safe certificate rests on an inspection no more than four years old.
Source: Phila. Code § 6-803. Checked on November 11, 2026.
Other landlord obligations
Unless the lease gives longer, a Philadelphia landlord must give written notice of a rent increase — its amount, the date it starts and the new payment — at least 60 days ahead for a tenancy of a year or more and at least 30 days ahead for a shorter one, by hand delivery or by first-class mail with proof of mailing.
Source: Phila. Code § 9-804(11)(a). Checked on November 11, 2026.
Pennsylvania rules that apply in Philadelphia
Every Pennsylvania rule Seayora publishes.
The homes these rules cover in Philadelphia
48.2% of the occupied homes in Philadelphia are rented, about 327,523 households, a share higher than across Pennsylvania (30.7%).
The median gross rent is $1,397 a month, higher than across Pennsylvania ($1,209); that is what households report paying, utilities included, not the asking rent for a vacant apartment.
52.3% of renters there pay 30% or more of their income on rent.
83.3% of the homes were built before 1980, and the federal lead-paint disclosure rule covers housing built before 1978.
| Philadelphia | Philadelphia County | Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that rent | 48.2% (±0.6 points) | 48.2% | 30.7% |
| Median gross rent | $1,397 (±$14) | $1,397 | $1,209 |
| Renters paying 30% or more of income on rent | 52.3% (±1.3 points) | 52.3% | 48.2% |
| Median income of renter households | $48,344 (±$1,293) | $48,344 | $47,506 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 83.3% (±1.0 points) | 83.3% | 67.3% |
| Homes in buildings of five or more units | 21.1% (±0.4 points) | 21.1% | 12.7% |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.4% (±0.4 points) | 5.4% | 4.9% |
| Households that moved in since 2020 | 26.3% (±0.6 points) | 26.3% | 20.2% |
All housing figures for Philadelphia: rent by bedrooms, home values, property taxes, commute.
Source: US Census Bureau, Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Philadelphia. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rentals and records in Philadelphia
Seayora reads open housing and building violation records for an address here from public data (Philadelphia) and shows them on each building it manages.
Questions about Philadelphia’s local rules
Does a landlord in Philadelphia need a reason to evict or not renew?
Since November 1, 2026, a Philadelphia landlord may not end a tenancy when any lease expires — or file to evict — without good cause, and must tell the tenant in writing, with reasonable specificity, what the good cause is, on the same schedule as a rent-increase notice: 60 days for a tenancy of a year or more, 30 for a shorter one. Without that notice the lease renews month to month. Good cause includes habitual non-payment or late payment of rent and a breach of a material lease term; the tenant may challenge it before the Fair Housing Commission within 15 business days, and the rule does not apply when the landlord has lived in the unit since the tenancy began. (Phila. Code § 9-804(12) (as amended by Bill No. 250330-AA, effective November 1, 2026))
Do landlords have to register rentals in Philadelphia?
A Philadelphia rental needs a rental license from the Department of Licenses and Inspections, and no rent may be collected for a unit without a valid one. At the start of every tenancy the owner must also give the tenant a Certificate of Rental Suitability issued no more than 60 days earlier, with the City’s “Partners for Good Housing” handbook. (Phila. Code §§ 9-3902, 9-3903)
Does Philadelphia require an inspection or certificate before a new tenant moves in?
Every Philadelphia rental built before 1978 must be certified lead-safe or lead-free by a certified inspector before a lease is signed or renewed and before a rental license is issued or renewed; the landlord gives the tenant a copy of the certificate and files it with the Department of Public Health, and a lead-safe certificate rests on an inspection no more than four years old. (Phila. Code § 6-803)
What else does Philadelphia require of landlords?
Unless the lease gives longer, a Philadelphia landlord must give written notice of a rent increase — its amount, the date it starts and the new payment — at least 60 days ahead for a tenancy of a year or more and at least 30 days ahead for a shorter one, by hand delivery or by first-class mail with proof of mailing. (Phila. Code § 9-804(11)(a))
This is a summary of the local rules Seayora has read from each place’s own code, not legal advice. Ordinances change and a rule may have exceptions; check the citation and the office named before acting.