Pennsylvania Landlord-Tenant Laws: A Plain-English Guide

Before the lease

Screening and source of income

Statewide, screening follows federal law. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, get written consent before running a report and send an adverse action notice when a report leads to a denial. Avoid blanket bans on criminal records. HUD withdrew its 2016 guidance in 2025, but such bans still invite Fair Housing Act claims. In Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, local law also bans source-of-income discrimination, so a voucher counts as income there.

Deposits

In year one, the deposit can be up to two months’ rent. From the start of year two, it can’t exceed one month (68 P.S. §§ 250.511a-250.512). On $1,400 rent, that means $2,800 at most in year one and $1,400 after. If you plan to keep tenants for years, starting at one month saves you a refund and a bookkeeping step later.

Deposits over $100 held for two years or more must sit in an escrow account at a federally or state-regulated institution, and from the start of the third year the tenant earns the interest, minus a 1% fee you can keep.

Philadelphia before move-in

In Philadelphia, get a rental license and give the tenant a Certificate of Rental Suitability before the tenancy starts. Without them you can’t evict. Owners of 3 or more units who charge more than one month’s deposit must offer installments (since December 2, 2025).

The lease

Decide whether your lease will waive the statutory notice to quit. It’s legal and common in Pennsylvania, and it shortens nonpayment cases. Add the federal lead-based paint disclosure for pre-1978 buildings.

During the tenancy

Rent increases

No rent control anywhere in the state; municipalities lack clear authority to adopt it. Raise rent at renewal, or on a month-to-month tenancy with at least the same 15 days’ notice you’d need to end it. A full month gives the tenant time to plan and reduces disputes.

Late fees

No statutory cap. The fee must be in the lease and reasonable. A flat $50 on $1,200 rent holds up better than a percentage that keeps growing.

Entry and repairs

There’s no statutory entry notice. The lease controls, so write in a period such as 24 hours. Pennsylvania courts recognize an implied warranty of habitability, so serious defects need timely repair regardless of lease language.

Ending the tenancy

Notices (unless your lease waives them)

Situation	Notice
Unpaid rent	10-day notice to quit
Breach, lease of 1 year or less	15-day notice to quit
Breach, lease over 1 year	30-day notice to quit
Month-to-month or indeterminate term	15 days (68 P.S. § 250.501)

In Philadelphia, leases of one year or less carry a good-cause requirement, so a non-renewal needs a legitimate reason.

Move-out and deposit return

Within 30 days after the lease ends, return the deposit with a written itemized list of damages. A worked example: rent is $1,300, the deposit is $1,300, and the tenant leaves $260 of damage beyond normal wear. Your list shows $260 with receipts, and you refund $1,040 plus any interest owed. Miss the 30 days and you forfeit the right to withhold, with double damages possible.

Eviction overview

1. Serve the notice to quit unless the lease waives it. In Philadelphia, complete the Eviction Diversion Program before filing a nonpayment case.
2. File a landlord/tenant complaint with the magisterial district judge, or in Philadelphia Municipal Court. Filing runs roughly $100-$250 depending on county and amount, and Philadelphia differs, so check with the court.
3. The court schedules a hearing, generally 7-15 days after filing, and serves the complaint.
4. With a judgment for possession, the tenant has 10 days to appeal to the Court of Common Pleas.
5. After those 10 days, request an order for possession. A constable serves it and can remove the tenant 10 days later.

What’s different in Pennsylvania

• A deposit cap that steps down, from two months in year one to one month in year two, with interest-bearing escrow for long-held deposits.
• Waivable notices. Lease language can waive the statutory notice to quit, a common feature of Pennsylvania leases.
• Philadelphia’s extra layer. A rental license and Certificate of Rental Suitability before evicting, mandatory Eviction Diversion before nonpayment filings, good cause for leases of one year or less, and the 2025 deposit-installment rule.
• Local source-of-income bans in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, plus common local rental registration.
• A predictable endgame. Ten days to appeal a magisterial judgment, then removal on the 11th day after the order for possession is served.