| Rent Increase Facts | Answer |
|---|---|
| Reason Needed? | No |
| Maximum Amount | None |
| Required Notice | 30 or 60 Days |
Does Pennsylvania Have Rent Control Laws?
Pennsylvania does not have rent control laws limiting the amount that landlords may ask for rent. However, state law does not prohibit local governments from establishing rent control laws.
When Can a Landlord Raise Rent in Pennsylvania?
Landlords in Pennsylvania can raise the rent at any time, as long as they comply with the following:
- Wait until the end of the lease term (unless otherwise specified in the lease)
- Aren’t raising rent for discriminatory or retaliatory reasons
- Don’t break any local rent control laws
- Give reasonable notice
60 days before the end of an eighteen-month lease, a landlord sends a notice that rent will increase by $150 a month if they choose to renew the lease.
When Can’t a Landlord Raise Rent in Pennsylvania?
Landlords in Pennsylvania may not raise the rent if:
- It is done in response to a protected tenant action, such as requesting reimbursement for utility bills. This is known as “retaliation.” An action by a landlord is considered retaliatory if it occurs within 6 months after something a tenant does.
- It is during the middle of a lease’s fixed term (unless stated otherwise in the lease agreement).
- The increase is higher than what’s allowed under rent control laws
- The increase is applied in a way that discriminates against one of the protected classes specified in the Fair Housing Act.
How Often Can Rent Be Increased in Pennsylvania?
Landlords in Pennsylvania can increase the rent as often as they choose as long as they provide sufficient notice each time.
How Much Notice is Needed to Raise Rent in Pennsylvania?
No state statute in Pennsylvania requires a minimum notice period. However, local jurisdictions can establish notice requirements and landlords can establish a minimum notice period in the lease agreement.
In Philadelphia, code requires that landlords give tenants 30 days’ written notice before raising rent during the first year of a lease and 60 days’ notice for leases longer than one year. The notice must be sent by hand-delivery or first-class mail with proof of delivery and include the date and amount of the increase and new rent amount.
Even though some cities have no minimum notice period, Pennsylvania law still requires that parties to a contract act in good faith, meaning that a landlord should give the tenant reasonable notice when increasing rent.
How Much Can a Landlord Raise Rent in Pennsylvania?
In Pennsylvania, landlords can raise rent by any amount. There is no legal limit or cap on the amount of a rent increase.
Sources
- 1 66 PA Cons Stat § 1531 (2021)
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…an increase in rent or of any substantial alteration in the terms of tenancy within six months…shall create a rebuttable presumption that the notice is a reprisal against the tenant…
Source Link - 2 Phil. Code 9-804(11)(a)
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…the following notice requirements shall apply…at least 30 days prior to the effective date of a rent increase where a residential tenancy is less than one year…
Source Link - 3 Phil. Code 9-804(11)(a)
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…the following notice requirements shall apply: At least 60 days prior to the effective date of a rent increase where a residential tenancy is one year or more…
Source Link
