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Landlord guidebooks

Philadelphia landlord
requirements, in plain English

What it actually takes to rent legally in Philadelphia — licenses, certificates, deposits, screening, and the rules that changed in 2026. Written by operators who self-manage their own doors, for landlords who do the same.

Last reviewed June 2026 Philadelphia & Pennsylvania Educational — not legal advice

The guidebooks

01Rental License 02Certificate of Rental Suitability 03Lead Safe / Lead Free Cert 04Safe & Healthy Homes Act2026 05Security Deposits 06Screening & Application Fees 07Fair Housing 08Eviction & Diversion 09Habitability & Maintenance
01

Rental License

You can't list, sign a lease, or collect rent on a Philadelphia rental without an active Rental License from the Department of Licenses & Inspections (L&I). It used to be called the Housing Inspection License.

  • An active Rental License for each building. One license covers all units in a single building; separate buildings each need their own.
  • A Commercial Activity License and a city tax account. File your BIRT return every year — even a "no tax due" return still has to be filed.
  • Clean standing before you apply or renew. Be current on city taxes and clear of open L&I violations.
  • A Local Agent if you're a non-resident owner. You must name an agent in the city with a monitored email for notices.
  • Renting to family for free? File an Affidavit of Non-Rental instead of a license.
Renew every 12 months. Renewing more than 60 days late triggers fines. With no active license you can't legally collect rent, and your lease and eviction options weaken badly.
Official sources Get a Rental License (phila.gov) Rental License FAQ
02

Certificate of Rental Suitability

Every lease — new or renewed — has to start with a current Certificate of Rental Suitability (CRS) handed to the tenant, along with the City's tenant handbook.

  • Pull a CRS from L&I and give it to the tenant at the start and at each renewal of the lease. It must be dated within 60 days of when you hand it over.
  • Include the "Partners for Good Housing" handbook, the City's plain-language guide to tenant rights and responsibilities.
  • Keep the property clean. A CRS only issues when your rental license is active and there are no outstanding violations.
No CRS, no clean path to possession. You need a current CRS to serve a notice to vacate or move an eviction forward.
Official sources Rental & property licenses (phila.gov)
03

Lead Safe / Lead Free Certification

If your building predates 1978, Philadelphia requires a lead certification on file before you rent — and since 2020 that applies to every covered unit, not just ones with young children.

  • Built before 1978: get a Lead Free or Lead Safe certification from an EPA-certified dust-sampling technician or a PA-licensed lead inspector / risk assessor, and file it in the City's Lead Certification Submission System.
  • Built 1978 or later: file an exemption form instead — you still have to submit something.
  • Mind the validity. A Lead Free certificate is valid indefinitely; a Lead Safe certificate relies on dust-wipe testing and must be re-certified periodically (commonly every four years).
  • Give the tenant the signed certification plus a written notice to watch for and report any cracked, chipping, or peeling paint.
It gates your license. A current lead certification (or exemption) is a prerequisite for getting or renewing your rental license.
Official sources Rental Property Lead Certification Law Submit lead certifications
04

Safe & Healthy Homes ActNew for 2026

Philadelphia's biggest rental-law shift in a decade. Passed by City Council in spring 2026 with an effective date of November 1, it tightens the link between licensing and your right to collect rent and to end a tenancy.

  • Good cause expands to every lease. You now need a legally defined, written reason to end or decline to renew any tenancy — the old exemption for leases longer than a year is gone.
  • Rent collected without a license is recoverable. Tenants can sue to recover rent you collected without an active rental license and a current CRS.
  • Proactive inspections. L&I gains authority to inspect rentals on a cycle, not only after a complaint.
  • Anti-retaliation & right to organize. You can't change terms or refuse to rent because a tenant reported a violation or joined a tenant association.
  • License transparency. Rental licenses must be shared with tenants or posted in common areas.
Watch the litigation. A landlord group has challenged the package in court, so specific provisions and the start date could still move before they take full effect. Plan for compliance, but track the outcome.
Sources City Council approves Safe Healthy Homes Act WHYY coverage
05

Security Deposits

Deposits are governed by Pennsylvania's Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 — and the math is strict, with real penalties for getting the return wrong.

  • Cap it. Year one: no more than two months' rent total. After the first year: no more than one month's. Last month's rent counts toward the cap.
  • Escrow the long-held money. A deposit over $100 held more than two years must move to an interest-bearing account, with the annual interest paid to the tenant (you may keep a 1% admin fee).
  • Disclose where it's held. Tell the tenant in writing the bank holding the deposit.
  • Return it within 30 days of move-out with an itemized list of deductions. Deduct only for unpaid rent and damage beyond normal wear and tear.
Miss the 30-day window and you forfeit the right to withhold anything — and can be on the hook for up to double the amount wrongfully kept.
Sources PA security deposit law (68 P.S. § 250.511a–512)
06

Screening & Application Fees

Philadelphia's Renters' Access Act governs how you screen, and a 2025 ordinance limits what you can charge to apply. Both reward a consistent, documented process.

  • Publish criteria first. Give applicants your written, uniform screening criteria before you accept any application or fee.
  • Limit the fee. Charge only for the actual cost of a background and/or credit check — capped at $50 or the real cost, whichever is less — with no hard-pull credit inquiries, and give the applicant copies of any reports you run.
  • No blanket exclusions. You can't auto-deny on credit score or eviction record alone; eviction history is limited to the last four years; assess each applicant individually.
  • Explain a denial. Send a written adverse-action notice with the reasons and the reports used. Applicants can request reconsideration within 48 hours. Owners of five or more units must offer a reconsidered, qualified applicant the next comparable vacancy.
Source of income is protected. You can't reject an applicant for paying with a housing voucher. Violations go to the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations.
Official sources Renters' Access Act guidelines (phila.gov)
07

Fair Housing

Three layers of fair-housing law apply at once — federal, state, and a broader Philadelphia ordinance that protects more classes than the others.

  • Federal Fair Housing Act. No discrimination on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability.
  • Philadelphia's Fair Practices Ordinance goes further, adding protections that include source of income, sexual orientation, gender identity, and marital status, among others.
  • Be consistent and accommodate. Apply the same documented standards to everyone, and grant reasonable accommodations and modifications for disabilities.
Inconsistency is where complaints start. Document why every approval and denial happened — that record is your best defense.
Sources Commission on Human Relations (phila.gov) HUD Fair Housing
08

Eviction & Diversion

Eviction in Philadelphia is court-only, and you must work through the City's Eviction Diversion Program before you can file.

  • Never self-help. Changing locks, removing belongings, or shutting off utilities is illegal and can expose you to penalties.
  • Serve proper written notice. By default 10 days for nonpayment, and 15 or 30 days to end a tenancy depending on lease length — unless your lease says otherwise — delivered in person or posted at the unit.
  • Go through diversion first. Send the Notice of Diversion Rights and participate in the Eviction Diversion Program in good faith for at least 30 days before filing (Phila. Code § 9-811). The main exception is an imminent threat of harm.
  • File with your paperwork in order. A Municipal Court filing needs an active rental license, a current CRS, and a lead-safe certificate where it applies.
Tenants can appeal within 10 days and may stay during appeal by posting a supersedeas. Many tenants now qualify for free legal counsel — show up prepared and documented.
Official sources Eviction Diversion Program (phila.gov) Phila. Code § 9-811
09

Habitability & Maintenance

Across the whole tenancy you owe a safe, working home — Pennsylvania's implied warranty of habitability plus Philadelphia's Property Maintenance Code.

  • Keep essential systems working: heat, hot water, plumbing, electrical, and a sound structure, throughout the lease.
  • Working smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors as the code requires.
  • Give tenants a written smoking policy stating whether smoking is allowed in the building or units.
  • Address repairs and code issues promptly. Respond to conditions before they become violations.
Open violations cascade. They can stop your license renewal, block your CRS, and stall an eviction. Fix them fast.
Sources Licenses & Inspections (phila.gov)
The short version

Your compliance checklist

Active rental license + Commercial Activity License + BIRT filed
Current Certificate of Rental Suitability at every lease
Lead Safe / Lead Free cert (or exemption) on file
Partners for Good Housing handbook given to tenants
Deposit within the cap, escrowed, returned in 30 days
Written uniform screening criteria + capped application fee
Smoke / CO detectors + written smoking policy
Eviction diversion before any court filing

Want this tracked for you?

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A note on these guides. This is general, educational information for Philadelphia landlords — not legal advice, and not a substitute for the official text of the law or a conversation with an attorney. Rules change (the Safe & Healthy Homes Act is a live example), figures like fees and deadlines can be updated, and your situation may differ. Always confirm current requirements with the City of Philadelphia and the linked official sources before acting. Last reviewed June 2026.