Pennsylvania · Renters' rights · Updated Oct 2026
Pennsylvania tenant rights
Security deposits, repairs, landlord entry, notices and evictions in Pennsylvania, in plain English from official sources, with free tools to get your deposit back and ask for repairs.
Guides for Pennsylvania renters
Security deposit
Limit, deadline, deductions, penalty and the calculator.
Repairs
The landlord's duty, repair and deduct, withholding rent and a repair letter.
Eviction
Notice periods, court deadlines, illegal lockouts and a timeline tool.
Security deposit in Pennsylvania
- Limit
- Two months' rent during the first year of the lease. One month's rent in the second and later years (or any renewal). After you have lived there 5 years, a rent increase can't be used to raise the deposit.
- Deadline to return it
- Within 30 days after the lease ends or after you move out and the landlord accepts the keys, whichever comes first, the landlord must send a written list of damages and the rest of the deposit. You must give your new address in writing; if you don't, the landlord is not liable under this law.
- Itemized list
- Yes. A written list of any damages the landlord claims, sent with the refund within 30 days. If the landlord doesn't send the list in time, the landlord loses the right to keep any part of the deposit for damages and can't sue you for damages. The landlord may still keep money for unpaid rent. The landlord has the burden of proving damages. Receipts are not required by the law.
- What may be deducted
- Actual damage to the unit caused by you, unpaid rent, and other lease breaches.
- Interest
- Yes, after 2 years. For deposits over $100 held past the second anniversary, the money must be in a bank escrow account and you get the interest earned each year on your lease anniversary, minus a 1% per year fee the landlord may keep (Act section 511.2).
- Separate account
- For deposits over $100, the law requires a bank escrow account and a written notice to you of the bank's name and address and the amount; the section says it applies after the second anniversary of the deposit. The landlord may post a bond instead (Act sections 511.2, 511.3).
- If the landlord keeps it wrongly
- Double the amount wrongly withheld (twice the amount by which the deposit plus interest exceeds the actual damages). A landlord who misses the 30-day list also forfeits the right to keep any of the deposit for damages.
How to get your deposit back
- Before you move out, clean, take dated photos and video of every room, and return all keys.
- Give your landlord your new address in writing. In Pennsylvania: You must give your new address in writing; if you don't, the landlord is not liable under this law.
- Wait for the deadline: Within 30 days after the lease ends or after you move out and the landlord accepts the keys, whichever comes first, the landlord must send a written list of damages and the rest of the deposit.
- If the money or an itemized list doesn't come, or the deductions are wrong, send a demand letter (below). Keep proof of mailing.
- If that doesn't work, sue in small claims court. Limit: $12,000 in Magisterial District Courts and Philadelphia Municipal Court. Small claims court in Pennsylvania on Small Claims Map
Repairs in Pennsylvania
- The landlord's duty
- No single statute lists the landlord's repair duties. Pennsylvania courts recognize an implied warranty of habitability in residential leases (Pugh v. Holmes, Pa. Supreme Court 1979). Local housing codes also apply.
- How to ask for repairs
- Ask in writing and keep a copy. Report serious problems to your local code enforcement or health department. No statute sets a deadline for the landlord.
- Repair and deduct
- No statute. Pennsylvania courts have allowed it under the implied warranty of habitability, but it is risky without legal advice.
- Withholding rent
- Only in limited cases by statute: under the Rent Withholding Act, if a city or local agency certifies your home as unfit to live in, you may pay rent into an escrow account instead of to the landlord. This applies in certain cities, not everywhere. Get legal help before withholding.
- Law
- Pugh v. Holmes, 405 A.2d 897 (Pa. 1979) (case law); Rent Withholding Act, 35 P.S. § 1700-1; Act section 206
Landlord entry in Pennsylvania
No statute. Pennsylvania state law does not set a notice period for landlord entry; check your lease and local ordinances.
Eviction in Pennsylvania
- Notice for unpaid rent
- 10-day written notice to quit for unpaid rent. Warning: Pennsylvania law lets a lease shorten or waive this notice, so read your lease. The notice may be handed to you, left at the building, or posted on the home.
- Notice for a lease violation
- 15 days' notice for a lease breach if the lease is for one year or less (or no set term); 30 days if the lease is longer than one year. No right to cure is stated. These periods can also be shortened or waived in the lease.
- Ending a month-to-month tenancy
- 15 days' written notice from the landlord to end a month-to-month (indeterminate) tenancy. The statute does not set a notice for tenants; check your lease.
- Time to respond to an eviction lawsuit
- The magisterial district judge sets a hearing 7 to 10 days after the summons is issued. Go to the hearing. If you lose, you have 10 days to appeal to the Court of Common Pleas, and must pay rent into escrow to stop the eviction. In nonpayment cases you can stop the lockout by paying the back rent and costs before the writ is carried out.
- Lockouts and utility shutoffs
- No state statute expressly bans lockouts or utility shutoffs; the Act calls itself the complete system for evictions, which go through the courts. Only a constable or sheriff acting on a court writ can remove you. Philadelphia and some cities have their own bans. Get legal help if locked out.
- Court self-help
- The court's eviction self-help page
- Law
- Act sections 501-503, 513 (68 P.S. §§ 250.501-250.503, 250.513)
Rent increases and rent control in Pennsylvania
- Notice of a rent increase
- No statute. A landlord generally can't raise rent during a fixed lease. For month-to-month tenancies, changes usually come with the notice needed to end the tenancy; check your lease.
- Rent control
- No statewide rent control or rent cap.
Late fees in Pennsylvania
No statute caps late fees.
Retaliation in Pennsylvania
Limited. A landlord may not end or refuse to renew your lease because you or your family joined a tenants' organization (Act section 205). There is no broader state retaliation statute; some cities, like Philadelphia, have their own.
Small claims court in Pennsylvania
Deposit disputes usually go to small claims court, where you don't need a lawyer.
Limit: $12,000 in Magisterial District Courts and Philadelphia Municipal Court.
Where to get free help in Pennsylvania
Good to know in Pennsylvania
- Your lease can shorten or waive the eviction notice periods, so read it carefully before signing.
- If the landlord doesn't send a damage list within 30 days, the landlord loses the right to keep your deposit for damages.
- To appeal an eviction you have only 10 days, and you must deposit rent with the court to stay in your home.
Recent law changes
Act 88 of 2024 (July 17, 2024) says the Act and its notice rules don't protect people who are not and never were tenants (aimed at squatters). We found no 2024-2026 change to deposit, notice or repair rules.
Free tools for Pennsylvania renters
Pre-set for Pennsylvania. They run in your browser and send nothing.
Deposit return calculator for Pennsylvania
Find your state's deadline for returning a security deposit, whether your landlord is late and what you may be owed. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.
Security deposit demand letter for Pennsylvania
A short, firm and polite letter asking your landlord to return your deposit by a date. It cites your state's deposit law. Many landlords pay at this step, and the letter is proof that you asked. Fill this in, download the letter as PDF or Word (or copy it), sign it, keep a copy and send it in a way you can prove, such as certified mail with a return receipt.
Repair request letter for Pennsylvania
Ask your landlord in writing to fix the problem by a date. A written, dated request is the first step in almost every state, and it is proof that the landlord knew. Check the problems, add dates, then download the letter as PDF or Word (or copy it). Sign it, keep a copy and photos, and send it in a way you can prove.
Eviction notice timeline for Pennsylvania
Got a notice from your landlord? Enter the kind of notice and the day you got it to see the dates that follow from your state's rule, what your landlord may not do, and where to get free help fast.
This is not legal advice. Eviction deadlines are short and missing one can cost you your home. Read your notice carefully and contact legal aid or your court's self-help center right away.
Questions about renters' rights in Pennsylvania
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Pennsylvania?
Two months' rent during the first year of the lease. One month's rent in the second and later years (or any renewal). After you have lived there 5 years, a rent increase can't be used to raise the deposit.
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Pennsylvania?
Within 30 days after the lease ends or after you move out and the landlord accepts the keys, whichever comes first, the landlord must send a written list of damages and the rest of the deposit. You must give your new address in writing; if you don't, the landlord is not liable under this law.
What can I do if my landlord won't return my deposit in Pennsylvania?
Double the amount wrongly withheld (twice the amount by which the deposit plus interest exceeds the actual damages). A landlord who misses the 30-day list also forfeits the right to keep any of the deposit for damages.
What can a landlord deduct from a security deposit in Pennsylvania?
Actual damage to the unit caused by you, unpaid rent, and other lease breaches.
Does a landlord have to pay interest on a security deposit in Pennsylvania?
Yes, after 2 years. For deposits over $100 held past the second anniversary, the money must be in a bank escrow account and you get the interest earned each year on your lease anniversary, minus a 1% per year fee the landlord may keep (Act section 511.2).
How do I ask my landlord for repairs in Pennsylvania?
Ask in writing and keep a copy. Report serious problems to your local code enforcement or health department. No statute sets a deadline for the landlord.
Can I repair and deduct the cost from rent in Pennsylvania?
No statute. Pennsylvania courts have allowed it under the implied warranty of habitability, but it is risky without legal advice.
Can I withhold rent for repairs in Pennsylvania?
Only in limited cases by statute: under the Rent Withholding Act, if a city or local agency certifies your home as unfit to live in, you may pay rent into an escrow account instead of to the landlord. This applies in certain cities, not everywhere. Get legal help before withholding.
How much notice does a landlord need to enter in Pennsylvania?
No statute. Pennsylvania state law does not set a notice period for landlord entry; check your lease and local ordinances.
How much notice does a landlord have to give for unpaid rent in Pennsylvania?
10-day written notice to quit for unpaid rent. Warning: Pennsylvania law lets a lease shorten or waive this notice, so read your lease. The notice may be handed to you, left at the building, or posted on the home.
How much notice for a lease violation in Pennsylvania?
15 days' notice for a lease breach if the lease is for one year or less (or no set term); 30 days if the lease is longer than one year. No right to cure is stated. These periods can also be shortened or waived in the lease.
How much notice is needed to end a month-to-month lease in Pennsylvania?
15 days' written notice from the landlord to end a month-to-month (indeterminate) tenancy. The statute does not set a notice for tenants; check your lease.
How long do I have to respond to an eviction lawsuit in Pennsylvania?
The magisterial district judge sets a hearing 7 to 10 days after the summons is issued. Go to the hearing. If you lose, you have 10 days to appeal to the Court of Common Pleas, and must pay rent into escrow to stop the eviction. In nonpayment cases you can stop the lockout by paying the back rent and costs before the writ is carried out.
Can my landlord lock me out or shut off utilities in Pennsylvania?
No state statute expressly bans lockouts or utility shutoffs; the Act calls itself the complete system for evictions, which go through the courts. Only a constable or sheriff acting on a court writ can remove you. Philadelphia and some cities have their own bans. Get legal help if locked out.
How much notice is needed for a rent increase in Pennsylvania?
No statute. A landlord generally can't raise rent during a fixed lease. For month-to-month tenancies, changes usually come with the notice needed to end the tenancy; check your lease.
Is there rent control in Pennsylvania?
No statewide rent control or rent cap.
Is there a limit on late fees in Pennsylvania?
No statute caps late fees.
Can my landlord retaliate if I complain in Pennsylvania?
Limited. A landlord may not end or refuse to renew your lease because you or your family joined a tenants' organization (Act section 205). There is no broader state retaliation statute; some cities, like Philadelphia, have their own.
What is the small claims limit in Pennsylvania?
$12,000 in Magisterial District Courts and Philadelphia Municipal Court.