Pennsylvania Leases and Rental Agreements Laws
Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last reviewed September 21, 2017
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Lease and Rental Agreements in General
Landlords and tenants can get along without any major issues, but they can also go after each other in court. That's why leases and rental agreements are regulated at the state level, where laws dictate limits on security deposits and other legal protections for both parties. Landlords and tenants each both take risks when entering into lease agreements, so these laws attempt to strike a balance between the two parties.
Lease agreements outline the term of the occupancy (such as "12 months" or "month-by-month"), the rent amount, how amount of the security deposit, rules regarding pets, whether subletting is allowed, and other terms.
Details About Pennsylvania Lease and Rental Agreement Laws
According to Pennsylvania's lease and rental agreement laws, deposits pay interest if they are held for more than five years. Deposits cannot be more than two months' rent for the first year (just one month's rent for additional years), and must be returned within 30 days after the expiration of the lease. Deposits may be used to cover unpaid rent, damage, or excessive cleaning needs.
Landlords are required by Pennsylvania law to provide up to 10 days to pay overdue rent. After that deadline, delinquent tenants must either move out or become subject to an eviction. If the landlord fails to fix a broken toilet or make other important repairs, the tenant may lawfully withhold rent.
The key details of Pennsylvania lease and rental agreement laws are listed below. See FindLaw's Landlord Tenant Law section for more articles and resources.
| Code Section | Tit. 68 Real and Personal Property |
| Terms of Leases | Holdover converts to same term as original lease if it was for 1 year or less |
| Deposits | Limit 2 months rent; interest on deposit required if deposit held over 2 years |
| Discrimination | No discrimination on basis of race, color, familial status, age, religious creed, ancestry, sex, national origin, handicap, disability; housing for older persons exempted |
| Uniform Residential Landlord & Tenant Act Adopted? | No |
Note: State laws are constantly changing -- contact an Pennsylvania real estate attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.
Pennsylvania Lease and Rental Agreement Laws: Related Resources
- Pennsylvania Legal Research
- Pennsylvania Code
- Official State Codes - Links to the official online statutes (laws) in all 50 states and DC.
- Leases and Rental Agreements
- Real Estate Center: Tenants' Rights
- Find a Landlord-Tenant Attorney
Get a Free Legal Evaluation of Your Landlord-Tenant Claim
Disputes between landlords and their tenants are quite common, sometimes through legitimate misunderstandings and sometimes through actual violations of the law. If you have a landlord-tenant dispute and would like to learn more about your legal options, you can get a free legal evaluation from a Pennsylvania attorney today.
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