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Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Landlord-Tenant Laws

Security deposit limits, eviction notices, rent control, and more for Pennsylvania.

How we research these summaries

Every rule on this page is drawn from state statutes and municipal codes and summarized with AI assistance. Each one cites the statute it's based on and links to a published text of that law so you can read it firsthand. Where a page says a city or county has no local rule on a topic, that means none was found for the topics covered here — not that none exists. Local governments also regulate rental housing in ways these pages don't track, including registration, licensing, inspections and habitability standards. These summaries may be incomplete or out of date, laws change often, and every property and tenancy has specifics a summary can't capture — so treat this as a starting point for your own research, not as legal advice, and check with the local jurisdiction and a qualified attorney before acting on your particular situation.

What to Know in Pennsylvania

Sources last checked July 2026

Pennsylvania's security deposit rule shifts by year of tenancy: up to two months' rent in the first year, dropping to one month from the second year on, with interest owed once a tenant has stayed past year three. Eviction for nonpayment requires a 10-day notice to quit, while other lease violations need 15 days' notice on a lease of a year or less and 30 days on a longer one. Pennsylvania has no statewide rent control for a structural reason: as a Dillon's Rule state, no municipality has been delegated authority to regulate rent, so none can enact it though no statute forbids it outright.

  • 10-day notice required before eviction for nonpayment of rent
  • When a landlord intends to end a tenancy at lease expiration or for a breach, written notice to quit is required: fifteen days where the lease is for one year or less or for an...
  • No rent control — no statutory cap on rent increases
  • Pennsylvania's Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 does not specify a minimum advance notice period for rent increases.
  • Under 68 P.S. § 250.511a, Pennsylvania landlords may collect a security deposit of up to two months' rent during the first year of tenancy.
5 rules summarized · Each linked to the law it cites

Security Deposit Limits

Security Deposit Limits

What is the security deposit limit in Pennsylvania?

Under 68 P.S. § 250.511a, Pennsylvania landlords may collect a security deposit of up to two months' rent during the first year of tenancy. Beginning with the second year of occupancy and upon any subsequent lease renewal, the maximum deposit drops to one month's rent; any excess collected must be returned to the tenant. If the tenant has resided in the unit for more than two years and the deposit exceeds $100, the landlord must deposit the funds in an interest-bearing escrow account and provide the tenant with the bank name and address. After the third year, the tenant is entitled to annual interest less 1% retained by the landlord for administrative costs. Once a tenant has resided for five or more years, the security deposit amount is frozen — it may not be increased even if rent increases. Landlords must return the deposit within 30 days of lease termination, along with an itemized written statement of deductions; failure to comply within 30 days forfeits the right to make any deductions.

68 P.S. §§ 250.511a–250.512

Eviction Notice Requirements

Eviction Notice Requirements

What are the eviction notice requirements in Pennsylvania?

Under 68 P.S. § 250.501, Pennsylvania landlords must serve written notice to quit before filing for eviction. For nonpayment of rent or illegal drug activity, tenants must receive a 10-day notice to quit. For lease violations other than nonpayment, and for lease non-renewal at end of term: 15 days' notice is required when the lease is for one year or less or indeterminate; 30 days' notice is required when the lease is for more than one year. Notice may be served personally on the tenant, left at the principal building on the premises, or posted conspicuously on the leased premises. Pennsylvania does not require 'just cause' for eviction — landlords may decline to renew a lease for any lawful reason with proper notice. Lease agreements may shorten or waive notice requirements if the tenant so agrees.

68 P.S. § 250.501

Rent Increase Notice Periods

Rent Increase Notice Periods

How much notice is required for rent increases in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania's Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 does not specify a minimum advance notice period for rent increases. Landlords must act in good faith and may not raise rent during the term of a fixed-term lease. For month-to-month tenancies, common practice and good faith obligations require reasonable written notice — typically 30 days — before the increase takes effect. Notice should be provided in writing by hand delivery or first class mail. Local jurisdictions may impose their own notice requirements: for example, Philadelphia Code § 9-804(11) requires 60 days' notice for leases of one year or more and 30 days for shorter leases. Landlords should review applicable local ordinances and include specific notice terms in the lease agreement.

68 P.S. § 250.101 et seq. (Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951)

Rent Control / Rent Increase Caps

Rent Control / Rent Increase Caps

Is there rent control in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania has no statewide rent control law, and no state statute regulates the amount a landlord may charge. There is also no statute expressly prohibiting local rent control, and the reason no Pennsylvania municipality has enacted one is worth stating precisely. Pennsylvania is a Dillon's Rule state: municipalities may exercise only those powers expressly delegated to them by the General Assembly, and no delegation covering rent regulation exists. A Pennsylvania municipality therefore lacks the legal authority to enact rent control, rather than being forbidden by a preemption statute. The practical result is the same — there is no cap on the size of a rent increase anywhere in Pennsylvania — but the distinction matters if you encounter a summary citing a specific preemption statute, because no such statute exists.

Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, 68 P.S. § 250.101 et seq. (contains no rent-regulation provision)

Move-Out & Lease Termination Notice

Move-Out & Lease Termination Notice

What is the move-out notice requirement in Pennsylvania?

When a landlord intends to end a tenancy at lease expiration or for a breach, written notice to quit is required: fifteen days where the lease is for one year or less or for an indeterminate time, and thirty days where the lease is for more than one year (68 P.S. § 250.501(b)). A tenant ending a month-to-month tenancy should give at least thirty days' written notice as good practice, though the statute addresses the landlord's notice to quit before eviction proceedings rather than the tenant's. Fixed-term leases expire by their own terms without advance notice of non-renewal unless the lease provides otherwise. Mobile home park tenants get longer periods under the same section: thirty days where the lease is for less than one year or for an indeterminate time, and three months where the lease is for one year or more (§ 250.501(c)). Note that those mobile-home periods live in the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, not in the Mobile Home Park Rights Act, which sets different periods for different situations.

68 P.S. § 250.501(b), (c)

Local Jurisdictions with Additional Rules

Philadelphia City

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