Philadelphia's New Landlord-Tenant Laws Start November 1: What You Need to Know

Philadelphia's new landlord-tenant laws take effect November 1

On November 1, 2026, the biggest overhaul of Philadelphia rental law in years takes effect. If you own, manage, or rent a home in the city, the rules for lease renewals, repairs, licensing, and evictions are about to change.

The changes come from the Safe Healthy Homes Act, a package sponsored by Councilmember Nicolas O'Rourke. City Council passed the final bills 16–1 on April 23, 2026, and Mayor Cherelle Parker signed them on May 7. Two bills do most of the work:

• Right to Safety (Bill No. 250330): expands “good cause” protections, strengthens anti-retaliation rules, and adds new protections for tenants organizing and against harassment.
• Right to Repairs (Bill No. 250329): tightens the rental license and Certificate of Rental Suitability rules and authorizes proactive city inspections.

Related: Philadelphia Rental License Checklist · Philadelphia Rental License Guide

Good cause now applies to every lease

The end of a lease term is no longer, by itself, a reason to end a tenancy. Philadelphia's existing good-cause rule covered only month-to-month leases and leases shorter than one year. Starting November 1, it covers every residential lease, regardless of length.

To terminate or not renew, a landlord must give the tenant written notice that states the good-cause reason with reasonable specificity. Notice timing depends on lease length:

• One year or more: 60 days written notice required
• Less than one year: 30 days written notice required

Related: Philadelphia Eviction Process Guide

What counts as good cause?

The law list examples, including:

• Repeated late payment or nonpayment of rent
• A material lease violation, or creating a nuisance or safety risk
• Refusing the landlord reasonable access after written notice
• Refusing to sign a renewal on the same terms
• The owner or a family member moving in
• Refusing a rent increase the landlord will actually charge the next tenant
• Major renovations (60 days’ notice, plus an offer to return when work is done)
• A bona fide sale to a buyer who will live in the unit

Tenants can challenge a notice

The list is not exhaustive, so expect courts to sort out the gray areas. Leases also can't waive these protections. A tenant has 15 days after receiving a notice to file with the Philadelphia Fair Housing Commission and notify the landlord. While that case is pending, the landlord generally can't move forward with an eviction. Tenants who miss the window can still raise lack of good cause as a defense in Municipal Court.

Repairs: the burden of proof shifts to landlords

The law writes the tenant's right to a habitable home into the city code and makes it unlawful for a landlord or property manager to materially interfere with it. Repairs must be done in a reasonably timely manner, following standards that limit toxic exposure to mold, lead paint and dust, asbestos, and similar hazards.

The bigger change is a new presumption of breach. If L&I has issued a notice of violation under the Property Maintenance Code or Fire Code, the cure deadline has passed, no appeal is pending, and the problem still isn't fixed, a court can presume the landlord knew about it, had time to fix it, and didn't. Landlords can rebut that by showing, for example, that the tenant blocked access, caused the condition, or that the violation is corrected or didn't materially affect habitability.

When L&I finds a unit unfit, unsafe, or imminently dangerous and the violation is timely addressed, tenants may be entitled to full rent abatement until repairs are underway and interim safety measures are in place. Landlords must correct those serious violations within 30 days of notice (unless they timely appeal), and can't collect rent or recover possession while out of compliance.

Related: L&I Inspections Guide · Partners for Good Housing Guide

Rental licenses and Certificates of Rental Suitability get teeth

Philadelphia already required a valid rental license and a Certificate of Rental Suitability (CRS) to collect rent or evict. The new law tightens both:

There is one safe harbor: landlords aren't penalized when the gap is caused by city delays, such as an L&I inspection backlog. Expect to have to document that the delay was the city's, not yours.

• No license with open violations. Landlords can't obtain or renew a rental license while they have open L&I violations.
• Posting and disclosure. Landlords must post or give tenants a copy of the rental license, any suspension notice, and notice of any unsafe, unfit, or fire code violations with their correction dates.
• No eviction without a current CRS. A landlord must have a current CRS, and provide it to the tenant, before starting the eviction process. Some summaries describe this as a CRS issued within 30 days before filing, so check the final ordinance text or attorney for the exact timing.
• Tenants can ask for an updated CRS once every 90 days. The landlord has 10 days to provide it, or can’t collect rent until they do.
• Rent refunds. Tenants can recover rent paid during any period the landlord had no valid license or failed to correct serious violations within 30 days.

Broader protections against retaliation and harassment

The retaliation rules now reach further. Landlords can't end or change a lease, refuse to lease, or restrict access to common areas or amenities because a tenant:

• Filed a complaint or cooperated with a city investigation
• Spoke in good faith with a government official, Council member, or reporter about conditions
• Testified in a court proceeding
• Joined or organized a tenant association

The law also adds a right to organize: landlords must confer in good faith with tenant associations and can't interfere with lawful activity like door-knocking, handing out flyers, or holding meetings.

New anti-harassment rules require landlords to:

Violations can cost $1,000 per violation plus attorney’s fees, and tenants can file even after they've moved out. The fee-shifting piece matters most: it makes these cases far easier for tenants to bring.

• Give 24 hours’ notice before entering a unit
• Honor amenities promised in the lease, like parking
• Never threaten to call ICE or other immigration authorities
• Keep tenants’ medical and health information private

The city can now inspect proactively

Until now, L&I mostly inspected rentals after a tenant complained. The new law authorizes a proactive inspection program, and the city budget sets aside at least $7.5 million to expand it. In practice, that means problems can surface on an inspector's schedule, not just a tenant's.

Your checklist before November 1

For tenants: keep copies of your lease, rent receipts, and repair requests. You can ask your landlord for their rental license and an updated Certificate of Rental Suitability.

• Confirm every unit has an active rental license, and note expiration dates
• Pull each property’s L&I record and close out any open violations
• Get a current Certificate of Rental Suitability on file for every unit
• Post or deliver license and violation notices to tenants
• Update non-renewal templates to state a specific good-cause reason, with 60 or 30 days’ notice
• Calendar lease end dates so notices go out on time, or plan for automatic month-to-month renewals
• Review leases for clauses that waive tenant protections
• Set written repair timelines and document every request, contractor visit, and access issue
• Switch to written 24-hour entry notices
• Train staff on the new retaliation, organizing, and harassment rules

Related: Rental License Checklist · Rent Estimator tool

A note on legal challenges

Two landlords sued City Council earlier this year, arguing the bills were amended in private in violation of Pennsylvania's Sunshine Act, and a federal challenge was also reported. Council re-ran the committee process and passed the bills anyway. As of this writing, November 1 remains the effective date, but watch for last-minute court rulings that could affect timing or specific provisions.

This post is general information, not legal advice. Details may differ from the final ordinance text. Talk to a Philadelphia real estate attorney about your specific properties or lease.

About the author

Benjamin Oller is a nationally recognized real estate entrepreneur who has founded and built companies across nearly every part of the property business: brokerage, management, insurance, and investment. His ventures include The Condo Shops, Keller Williams Empower, TCS Property Management, Rittenhouse Realty Advisors, Customers First Insurance Agency, Oller Family Investment, and MacFarlane Investments. Together, his companies have generated more than $15 billion in real estate sales.

The Oller family also holds ownership in GoldOller Associates, a $9 billion multifamily management and investment group. That range of experience, from leasing and day-to-day property management to large-scale ownership, gives Ben a practical view of how new rules like the Safe Healthy Homes Act play out for owners and residents alike.

Sources

• Safe Healthy Homes FAQ, Public Interest Law Center
• Philadelphia Enacts New Habitability and Lease Renewal Rules, Nochumson P.C.
• Philadelphia Landlords: Prepare Now for New Compliance Requirements, Flaster Greenberg
• Philly tenant unions quadruple since pandemic, Northeast Times
• Mayor Parker Signs Contested Philly Renter Protection Bills, Bisnow