One service to handle your Philadelphia rental license

A PHTIN (Philadelphia Tax Identification Number) is required for every landlord in Philadelphia. It's your unique ID for the Philadelphia Tax Center. If you don't have one, we'll guide you through the setup process — it takes about 15 minutes online.

The Philadelphia rental license application is filed through L&I after your owner tax account, property details, and required compliance items are ready. We check the property, confirm PHTIN/CAL status, collect the RLSI signature, coordinate lead paint items when needed, and submit the application for you.

Most owners need a Philadelphia Tax Identification Number (PHTIN), a Commercial Activity License or proper tax account setup, no blocking L&I violations, the correct owner/property information, and lead-safe certification if the property was built before 1978. The exact requirements depend on the property, which is why the address check comes first.

Once we have all your information and your tax account is set up, we typically submit within 3–5 business days. The most common delay is waiting for PHTIN setup or tax clearance, which we help you resolve.

You can actually check this right now — the free compliance preview above pulls live data from Philadelphia's violations database for your address. Open violations must be resolved before L&I will issue a license, but we flag them upfront so there are no surprises. If anything shows up, we'll walk you through the fastest path to resolution before we submit the application.

If your property was built in 1978 or earlier, a lead-safe certification is required. We coordinate the testing with our certified inspectors. Cost depends on bedrooms per unit ($130–$280/unit).

The city rental license fee is $69 per unit, paid directly to Philadelphia L&I. Our flat service fee is $500 per property for the done-for-you application support. Lead paint testing is separate when required, and the address tool shows the estimated total before you start.

The $69 per unit fee is the City of Philadelphia's licensing fee — it goes directly to L&I. This is mandatory regardless of who files your application. Our service fee covers everything else.

If you're already working with HubKey for tenant placement, the rental license can be bundled at a reduced rate. Just let us know when you get started and we'll apply the discount.

Our guarantee: if we can't get your rental license approved, you don't pay our $500 service fee — period. City fees ($69/unit) and lead paint testing costs (if already performed) are non-refundable because they're paid to third parties (L&I and the inspector), not us. That's the only carve-out. If we drop the ball on our end, you owe us nothing.

Yes! After you submit your information, you'll have access to real-time status updates showing exactly where your application stands — from compliance checks to L&I submission to license issuance.

Rental licenses are tied to the owner and property — they don't transfer when a property changes hands. The new owner has to apply for their own license before renting. If you're buying a property with an existing rental license, budget for a fresh application.

Philadelphia can fine unlicensed rentals up to $2,000 per day per unit. Worse, rent collected without a license isn't legally enforceable — if a tenant disputes it, you may not be able to recover it. Evictions also get complicated without a valid license.

Yes. The entire intake is online — you don't need to be in Philly. We e-sign the RLSI, coordinate lead paint testing with on-site access via your tenant or contractor, and submit everything to L&I on your behalf. Most of our clients never set foot in a city office.

Short-term rentals in Philadelphia have a separate licensing path (Limited Lodging) on top of the standard rental license. We can handle the standard rental license — for short-term-specific compliance (zoning permit, Hotel Tax registration), we'll flag what else you need and refer you if it's outside our scope.

Yes, and it's included. The Certificate of Rental Suitability is a separate document from the rental license — the City issues it free through eCLIPSE, and you must give a copy to every tenant before they move in. We pull it as part of your license procurement and send it to you. Note that handing it to the tenant is still the owner's responsibility, and you'll also certify that smoke and fire alarms are working, which is an attestation only you can make.

Starting November 1, 2026, after receiving a new or renewed Philadelphia rental license, the owner must provide tenants the license and required tenant-rights restatement within seven days. Delivery may be by conspicuous posting, personal delivery, or certified mail. Email is allowed only for a one- or two-unit property when the tenant has qualifying written consent. The free property report explains the property-specific steps; it does not send the notice or prove delivery.

Yes. When properties have the same owner or legal entity and are submitted and paid together through the portfolio checkout, the first property's HubKey service fee is $500 and each additional property's is $450 — an automatic 10% discount on property 2 and beyond. City and lead-testing fees are never discounted, and guarantees or refunds are evaluated per property.

Yes. Philadelphia rental licenses renew annually. Your free bonus includes a 60-day renewal alert so nothing slips. Rental license renewal pricing is the same $500 flat service fee + city fees — but we already have your file, so it's faster the second time around.

Just an address and a way to pay. We'll ask for owner info, PHTIN (or help you set one up if you don't have one), property details, and signature on the RLSI form. The whole intake takes ~10 minutes.

If your PHTIN is set up and you have no open violations, we typically submit to L&I within 3 business days of receiving your intake. L&I issues licenses in 1–2 business days after submission. The most common delays: setting up PHTIN (1–7 days), tax clearance issues, or open violations on the property.

Common situation — and not a deal-breaker. We submit the application as a new license; the city does not retroactively fine if you come into compliance proactively. The faster you get licensed, the smaller the exposure window.

We share your property + owner info only with the Philadelphia Department of Licenses & Inspections (required for the application) and with our lead paint inspector partner (only if pre-1978). We don't sell, share, or use your info for marketing. Full privacy details on request.

Checkout currently accepts cards through Stripe, including eligible Apple Pay and Google Pay wallets. ACH and check are not available in the self-serve one-property or portfolio checkout.

Philadelphia's rental license process touches five separate city systems, and most delays come from a prerequisite nobody flagged — a missing tax account, an unfiled lead certificate, a Commercial Activity License that got flagged. We check all of it up front, prepare the filing, and submit it. Flat $500, and no service fee if it isn't approved.