Pennsylvania Rent Increase Laws

Pennsylvania Rent Increase Laws

Last Updated: January 16, 2025 by Roberto Valenzuela

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. State law allows local governments to set their own rent control ordinances, if they choose.

Read More

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

example

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 retaliation within 6 months of a protected tenant action, such as requesting reimbursement for utility bills
  • 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.

    example

    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. The amount of notice required to terminate a tenancy also serves as reasonable notice to raise rent, in most situations.

    How Much Can a Landlord Raise Rent in Pennsylvania?

    Pennsylvania landlords may raise rent by any amount. There is no legal limit or cap on the amount of a rent increase.

    Sources