Your landlord must repair any problems that affect the health and safety of the home (e.g., broken heat, sewage defects, dangerous electrical wiring, unsafe floors or stairs, mice or insect infestation). See our Right to a Decent Place to Live page for more details.
Your landlord may not retaliate against you for exercising your legal rights. It is illegal for landlords to retaliate against you (with eviction, rent hikes, or not renewing the lease) if you report health and safety violations, request repairs, request lower rents, speak to anyone about your living conditions, or organize with other tenants.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits landlords from denying housing or offering different lease terms because of your race, religion, age, physical or mental disability, source of income, sexual orientation, gender identity, number of children, or status as a victim of domestic violence. Sexual harassment by landlords is illegal.
A landlord must provide access to necessary heat, water, gas and electric services at all times during a lease. A landlord may never shut off utilities, even if you are behind on rent and the water, sewer, gas or electric is included in your rent. Also, your landlord cannot bill you more than a utility company or require you to pay for utilities used by others in the building, including common areas. A utility company cannot terminate service because the landlord failed to pay the bill without first giving the tenant the opportunity to pay the bill for the last thirty days and deduct the payment from the rent. See the Utility Service Tenants Rights Act.
Landlords may not discontinue any service provided at the beginning of a lease until the lease is renewed.
Your landlord may not charge you more than two months’ rent for a security deposit, including fees and the last month’s rent. Landlords must return a tenant’s security deposit within 30 days from the date you move out with an explanation for any deductions for repairs. During the second year or any renewal of the original lease, the security deposit cannot exceed one month’s rent. If you originally paid two months’ security deposit (or one month’s security deposit and “the last month’s rent”), then, after the first year, you may ask the landlord to return the amount of money held that is greater than one month’s rent.
Landlords are required to change their policies or procedures to accommodate a tenant with any serious medical impairment such as blindness, mental illness, lack of mobility or cardiovascular disease.
Tenants have a right to have visitors for a reasonable period of time without any additional charges regardless of what the lease says. Landlord Tenant Act of 1951.
Landlords must obtain the tenant’s permission according to the lease before entering a tenant’s residence for inspections or repairs unless the repairs are required by an emergency. Pennsylvania Covenant of Quiet Enjoyment.
It is a crime for a landlord to lock out a tenant. A tenant may be evicted only by a court officer and only after a court hearing. Landlord Tenant Act of 1951.