Philadelphia's Safe Healthy Homes legislation changes both the City's rental-compliance system and the rights tenants can enforce. The two core 2026 ordinances are the final amended Bills 250329-AA and 250330-AA. Both were passed 15–1 on April 23, signed May 7, and become effective November 1, 2026.
The package is often discussed with Bill 250331, the earlier Right to Relocation measure concerning an Anti-Displacement Fund and notice before certain cease-operations orders. Bill 250331 followed a different 2025 legislative timeline. It should not be used to obscure the effective date of the two 2026 ordinances.
What each enacted bill does
| Bill | Common name | Main subject |
|---|---|---|
| 250329-AA | Right to Repairs | Rental licensing, tenant notices, Certificates of Rental Suitability, rent and possession remedies, and proactive inspections |
| 250330-AA | Right to Safety | Good-cause lease termination, retaliation, harassment, habitability, tenant organizing, and remedies |
| 250331 | Right to Relocation | Authorization for an Anti-Displacement Fund and notice tied to certain cease-operations orders |
When do Bills 250329-AA and 250330-AA take effect?
Both ordinances take effect November 1, 2026. That date appears in the final enacted text and in the Philadelphia Code's amendment notes. Earlier versions of this page incorrectly said no compliance date had been published; that has been corrected.
Does proactive inspection begin everywhere on November 1?
No universal inspection schedule has been published. Bill 250329-AA authorizes L&I to establish the program and sets a goal of regularly cycling through licensed residential rentals by July 2030 where feasible. The legal authority takes effect November 1; the operational calendar is a separate City implementation step.
What changes for rental-license operations
Bill 250329-AA adds or strengthens practical duties around:
- keeping a valid, unexpired rental license;
- providing the license and required statutory information to tenants;
- posting or delivering certain serious violation and suspension notices;
- obtaining and delivering a current Certificate of Rental Suitability;
- attaching required license, certificate, or appeal records in certain court filings; and
- preparing licensed properties for a proactive inspection system.
Which certificate duties are new, and which already apply?
The move-in packet is already required; the tenant-request certificate, the eviction-filing certificate and the tenant's private right of action are what start on November 1. Phila. Code § 9-3903(1)(a) already requires, at the inception of each tenancy, a Certificate of Rental Suitability issued no more than 60 days before, a copy of the owner's attestation, and the City's Partners for Good Housing handbook. That text is not a November change.
What November 1 adds:
- § 9-3903(1)(d): a tenant may request a certificate once in any 90-day period; the owner has 10 days to provide one issued no more than 30 days before the request, and until it is provided the owner is denied the right to collect rent.
- § 9-3903(1)(c): an owner filing an eviction must provide a certificate issued no more than 30 days before "the date of enrollment" (the ordinance's own phrase, which it does not define) to the tenant and to the court; without it the owner is denied the right to file.
- § 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.
- § 9-3903(2)(d)(.1): in an action for eviction or for rent, the owner carries the burden of showing certificate compliance for the entire tenancy.
The law includes further detailed timing and delivery rules. See the November 1 landlord checklist for an operational summary.
What changes for leases and tenant rights
Bill 250330-AA expands the good-cause rule to actions ending any lease, rather than limiting the rule to leases under one year. It also broadens protection against retaliation and interference, recognizes organizing rights, addresses habitability standards and presumptions, and expands available remedies.
These provisions can affect notices, non-renewals, lease administration, repair documentation, property access, and responses to tenant complaints. Owners should have Pennsylvania counsel review lease-termination and dispute workflows before the effective date.
What landlords should do next
- Use the November 1 preparation checklist.
- Verify each property's current license, violation, lead-certification, and suitability-document status.
- Create a repeatable record for tenant delivery and posting obligations.
- Review lease non-renewal, repair, access, and complaint-response procedures with counsel.
- Watch for L&I's proactive-inspection schedule rather than assuming inspections begin citywide on November 1.
This is an operational summary of enacted Philadelphia ordinances, not legal advice. For lease, eviction, retaliation, or enforcement questions, consult a Pennsylvania attorney.
