A Pennsylvania residential lease agreement (“rental agreement”) is a legal contract between a landlord overseeing a rental property and a tenant using the property. State and local laws set the rules for rental agreements, such as laws regulating the use of a tenant’s security deposit.
Pennsylvania Lease Agreement Disclosures
These disclosure(s) are required for residential lease agreements in Pennsylvania.
| Disclosure | Applicable To |
|---|---|
| Lead Paint | All Units Built Before 1978 |
Lead-Based Paint Disclosure
Applies to all Pennsylvania rentals built before 1978.
Lead-Based Paint
Pennsylvania residential leases for property built before 1978 must, by federal law, contain a lead-based paint disclosure. This requires landlords to do the following:
- Fill out and attach this lead-based paint disclosure form to the lease agreement
- Provide the tenant with an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved pamphlet about the dangers of lead-based paint
- Provide any additional records or reports about the presence or hazards of lead-based paint in the unit (for multi-unit buildings with common areas, this includes information from building-wide evaluations)
Download: Pennsylvania Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Form (PDF)
Optional Disclosures and Addenda (Recommended)
The following lease agreement disclosures and addenda are not required by Pennsylvania law in residential lease agreements, but help with tenant management and landlord liability.
| Optional Disclosure | How the Disclosure is Helpful |
|---|---|
| Asbestos | Informs tenants about any asbestos hazards related to the property. Tenants can reduce asbestos risk by not disturbing asbestos fibers. |
| Bed Bugs | Informs tenants whether the property or an adjacent unit has a history of suspected bed bug infestation, and reminds the tenant of the obligation to report suspected infestation immediately. |
| Landlord’s Name and Address | Guarantees smooth communication and payment of rent in the event of any unusual situations. Typically includes additional contact information for the landlord and authorized agents, such as phone numbers and email addresses. |
| Late/Returned Check Fee | Specifies late fees or returned check fees related to the lease. Pennsylvania does not limit late fees. A landlord may recover up to a $50 service charge for a returned check, more if actual bank charges exceed this amount. |
| Medical Marijuana Use | Informs tenants about policy related to medical marijuana use on the rental property. Some state laws allow landlords to restrict marijuana usage to non-smoking methods only, or allow use only in designated smoking areas. |
| Mold Disclosure | Informs tenants about actual or suspected mold contamination on the property efforts, plus information about treatments. This helps limit landlord liability. |
| Move-in Checklist | Takes inventory of existing property damage, when the tenant moves into the rental property. This ensures accurate deductions from the security deposit upon move-out. |
| Non-Refundable Fees | Charges not agreed by the tenant in the lease may be refundable when the lease ends. For Pennsylvania landlords to charge a non-refundable fee, it must be disclosed and agreed as such in the lease. |
| Shared Utilities Arrangements | Sets terms for how to divide utility costs up on properties which share a utility meter with other units. This ensures tenants receive fair charges and understand what uses contribute to their bill. |
| Smoking | Informs tenants of designated smoking areas that do not interfere with the quiet enjoyment of other tenants. |
Consequences of Not Including Mandatory Disclosures
Mandatory disclosures outline important health, safety, and property information for the benefit of both landlord and tenant. A landlord who fails to provide federally or state-mandated disclosures could face legal consequences or monetary penalties, either from a tenant lawsuit or from state officials. Many lease provisions may be unenforceable without legally required disclosures.
Failure to comply with the federal lead-based paint hazard disclosure risks fines of tens of thousands of dollars per violation.
Sources
- 1 18 Pa. Stat. § 4105(e)
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Upon conviction under this section the sentence shall include an order for the issuer or passer to reimburse the payee or such other party as the circumstances may indicate for:
(1) The face amount of the check.
(2) Interest at the legal rate on the face amount of the check from the date of dishonor by the drawee.
(3) A service charge if written notice of the service charge was conspicuously displayed on the payee’s premises when the check was issued. The service charge shall not exceed $50 unless the payee is charged fees in excess of $50 by financial institutions as a result of such bad check or similar sight order for the payment of money. If the payee is charged fees in excess of $50, then the service charge shall not exceed the actual amount of the fees.
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