Regulatory tracker · City of Philadelphia
Philadelphia rental regulation changes
What changed, when it takes effect, and who it applies to. We track the City’s rental rules because we file under them every day. Each entry links to the primary source so you can check our work.
Bills 250329-AA and 250330-AA reach every Philadelphia rental on November 1.
Effective 11 · 01 · 2026November 1 also gives these duties a tenant-side remedy: under §9-3901(4)(i) a tenant may recover compensatory damages or $1,000 per violation, whichever is greater, plus abatement or refund of rent for periods of non-compliance, injunctive relief, and reasonable attorney’s fees and costs — and in an eviction or rent action the owner carries the burden of showing certificate compliance for the whole tenancy (§9-3903(2)(d)(.1)). HubKey is a licensed Pennsylvania brokerage, not a law firm; this describes what the ordinance says and is not legal advice.
See which of these rules apply to your address.
We pull the property's license status, unit count, year built, violations and lead-safe record from City systems and show which of the entries below reach it.
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Open the November 1 checklist →Philadelphia Rental Rules Taking Effect November 1, 2026: Landlord Checklist
Philadelphia Bills 250329-AA and 250330-AA take effect November 1, 2026 and change rental licensing, tenant notices, Certificates of Rental Suitability, lease termination, retaliation, habitability, and inspection rules.
Passed — not yet in effectEffective November 1, 2026Philadelphia Proactive Rental Inspections: What Bill 250329-AA Changes
Bill No. 250329-AA authorizes Philadelphia L&I to establish a proactive inspection program for licensed residential rentals, instead of relying only on tenant complaints.
Passed — not yet in effectEffective November 1, 2026Philadelphia Safe Healthy Homes Act: Final Rules and Effective Dates
Philadelphia's final Right to Repairs and Right to Safety ordinances are Bills 250329-AA and 250330-AA, not the earlier unamended bill numbers.
Passed — not yet in effectThe docket, newest first
7 entries- EffectiveNovember 1, 2026Bills No. 250329-AA and 250330-AAPassed — not yet in effect
Philadelphia Rental Rules Taking Effect November 1, 2026: Landlord Checklist
Philadelphia Bills 250329-AA and 250330-AA take effect November 1, 2026 and change rental licensing, tenant notices, Certificates of Rental Suitability, lease termination, retaliation, habitability, and inspection rules.
Applies to · Philadelphia residential landlords and property managers
- EffectiveNovember 1, 2026Bill No. 250329-AAPassed — not yet in effect
Philadelphia Proactive Rental Inspections: What Bill 250329-AA Changes
Bill No. 250329-AA authorizes Philadelphia L&I to establish a proactive inspection program for licensed residential rentals, instead of relying only on tenant complaints.
Applies to · Philadelphia residential rentals registered to a rental license
- EffectiveNovember 1, 2026Bills No. 250329-AA and 250330-AAPassed — not yet in effect
Philadelphia Safe Healthy Homes Act: Final Rules and Effective Dates
Philadelphia's final Right to Repairs and Right to Safety ordinances are Bills 250329-AA and 250330-AA, not the earlier unamended bill numbers.
Applies to · Philadelphia residential landlords, property managers, and tenants
- EffectiveNovember 1, 2026Bill No. 250330-AAPassed — not yet in effect
Philadelphia Tenant Retaliation and Good-Cause Rules (Bill 250330-AA)
Bill No. 250330-AA expands Philadelphia protections against landlord retaliation, harassment, interference with habitability, and obstruction of tenant organizing.
Applies to · Philadelphia residential landlords, agents, property managers, and tenants
- PublishedAugust 6, 2026In effect
Unlicensed Rentals in Philadelphia: Rent Collection and Eviction Risks
Philadelphia owners generally may not collect rent for periods when a required rental license is missing, expired, or suspended.
Applies to · Philadelphia residential rentals required to hold a rental license
- EffectiveJuly 6, 2026Bill No. 250980-AIn effect
Philadelphia Rental License Physical Address and Local Agent Rule
Bill 250980-A took effect July 6, 2026 and requires verifiable physical-address information for Philadelphia property-related license applications and renewals.
Applies to · Philadelphia property-license applicants · Non-resident Philadelphia landlords
- EffectiveOctober 1, 2020In effect
Philadelphia Lead Certification: Which Rentals Need It and How Long It Lasts
As of October 1, 2020, every Philadelphia residential rental built before March 1978 must be certified lead-safe or lead-free.
Applies to · Pre-1978 Philadelphia residential rentals
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