Philadelphia landlord compliance is a steady rhythm of renewals, move-in documents, notices, and repairs. Here are the major requirements from this series in one checklist, covering rental licenses and the CRS, lead certification, tenant screening, and eviction diversion and good cause. Check the linked official sources, because rules change, and several change on November 1, 2026.
Every year
- ☐ Renew your Rental License for each building. It’s an annual license, and renewing more than 60 days late adds a penalty of 1.5% of the fee per month. L&I sends reminder emails about 45 days before expiration and mailed notices about 30 days before (phila.gov). Starting November 1, 2026, the private-lawsuit safe harbor for an expired license lasts only 15 days (Bill 250329-AA).
- ☐ Post or deliver the new license to tenants within 7 days of receiving it, together with the required restatement of the Code’s noncompliance rule (new November 1, 2026).
- ☐ Stay current on City taxes and fines. You can’t renew with a balance. Confirm your Commercial Activity License and business tax account.
- ☐ Clear open L&I violations before renewal. Unsafe, unfit, or imminently dangerous conditions must be corrected within 30 days of the notice (or sooner if L&I says so) to avoid CRS noncompliance (§ 9-3903).
- ☐ Confirm your Managing Agent and contact details. Out-of-town owners must keep a registered Local Agent with a verifiable Philadelphia physical address (effective July 6, 2026). Report changes to your license information within 10 business days (§ 9-3901).
- ☐ Review lead certification dates. Lead-safe certificates must be based on an inspection no more than 48 months before license issuance, and certifications must be uploaded before you can apply to renew (Ch. 6-800).
- ☐ Test smoke detectors and fire protection equipment. You attest that they work every time you pull a CRS.
Before every new lease (turnover)
- ☐ Publish written screening criteria before accepting applications (§ 9-1108(3)).
- ☐ Keep screening fees at the actual cost or $50, whichever is less. Use soft credit pulls only, and give applicants a copy of any report (§ 9-814).
- ☐ Send denial reasons within 3 business days, then allow the 48-hour and 7-business-day dispute windows (§ 9-810).
- ☐ Pull a new Certificate of Rental Suitability issued no more than 60 days before move-in.
- ☐ Hand over the move-in packet:
- The CRS and your suitability attestation
- The Partners in Good Housing handbook
- Managing Agent contact information
- The bed bug brochure and a statement on whether the unit had an infestation in the past 120 days (Partners in Good Housing)
- ☐ Lead documents:
- The lead-safe or lead-free certificate, signed by the tenant (pre-1978 properties)
- The City’s lead water pamphlet
- The lead warning statements and the tenant’s 10-day inspection right in the lease
- The federal lead disclosure form
- ☐ Smoking policy disclosure in the lease for buildings with three or more units (§ 9-805).
- ☐ Security deposit within legal limits: no more than two months’ rent in year one and one month’s after that (68 P.S. § 250.511a). Since December 2, 2025, if the deposit is more than one month’s rent, tenants may choose to pay the excess in three monthly installments. Owners of two or fewer units are exempt (§ 9-804(4)).
- ☐ Give every party a fully executed lease before accepting rent (§ 9-804(5)).
Before every renewal, rent increase, or non-renewal
- ☐ Rent increase notice: at least 60 days for tenancies of one year or more and 30 days for shorter ones, in writing, by hand or first-class mail with proof of mailing (§ 9-804(11)).
- ☐ New CRS for each renewal (phila.gov).
- ☐ Check that the lead certificate is still valid at renewal.
- ☐ Good cause for any non-renewal. From November 1, 2026, this applies to leases of every length, with a written notice stating the reason “with reasonable specificity” on the same timeline as a rent-increase notice (Bill 250330-AA).
When there’s a problem with a tenant
- ☐ Identify your good-cause basis first (from November 1, 2026).
- ☐ Send the Notice of Diversion Rights, enroll in EDP, and participate in good faith for 30 or more days before filing (§ 9-811).
- ☐ Assemble the filing packet: the license, a CRS issued within 30 days (new November 1, 2026), CRS history, code violations, and the lead certification.
- ☐ Never change locks or shut off utilities to force a tenant out.
When you receive a violation notice (new November 1, 2026)
- ☐ For unsafe, unfit, or imminently dangerous conditions or Fire Code violations, post or deliver the notice to affected tenants at least 24 hours before the correction deadline, unless it’s fixed in time.
- ☐ Post or deliver any license suspension notice or appeal result within 7 days.
A quick word on 2027 and beyond
Bill 250329-AA authorizes L&I to build a Proactive Inspection Program to inspect licensed residential rentals on a regular cycle by July 2030. It also requires public reporting starting in 2027.
FAQ
What’s the single most important item on this list?
A valid Rental License and a current CRS. Without them, the Code can bar you from collecting rent or recovering possession.
How often do I need lead testing?
Lead-safe certificates must be based on an inspection within 48 months of the license or lease date. Lead-free certifications don’t follow that cycle.
Is there one City office for all of this?
No. L&I handles licenses and CRS, the Health Department handles lead, and the Fair Housing Commission handles unfair rental practices.
Do the November 2026 changes apply to small landlords?
Generally yes. A few provisions have small-owner exemptions, such as the deposit installment rule for owners of two or fewer units.
Make compliance someone’s full-time job
Since 2011, JG Real Estate has handled Philadelphia property management for owners across the city, and today we manage about 2,000 units from our Northern Liberties office at 1028 N 3rd Street. Our managed properties are maintained by JG Maintenance and JG Construction Services. Feels like a lot? Let’s talk. Visit our Philadelphia property management page or call 215.467.4100.
Sources: Get a Rental License (phila.gov) · Get a CRS (phila.gov) · Phila. Code Ch. 9-3900 · Phila. Code § 9-804 · Phila. Code §§ 9-810, 9-811, 9-814 · Phila. Code § 9-1108 · Phila. Code Ch. 6-800 · Bill 250329-AA · Bill 250330-AA · 68 P.S. § 250.511a · Partners in Good Housing (Sept. 2025)
