Pennsylvania Rental Lease Agreement Templates

The Pennsylvania Rental Lease Agreement Forms are a set of legal forms that permit a property owner or manager to rent out their property to another party. The lease typically has a set start and end date, as well as specifications about how much rent is, when it must be paid and in what form. If you wish to sell or rent property in Pennsylvania, you need a Real Estate Broker License.

Each lease is unique and will vary wildly based on the property it is renting, what the property is intended to be used for, as well as any local statutes and laws it will be subject to. In order to be as secure as possible in the knowledge that lease will be upheld by both parties, both parties should read the lease exceptionally carefully and ensure that the other party does so as well.

Form Description Types

Pennsylvania Commercial Lease Agreement

The Pennsylvania Commercial Lease Agreement is a specific kind of lease used to rent out property to a business or other for-profit entity, to use for commercial purposes. A non-profit or charitable organization cannot use this type of lease. Form…Read more ›

Pennsylvania Month to Month Rental Agreement

The Pennsylvania Month to Month Lease Agreement is typically a much more fluid type of lease agreement than the One Year Agreement. In this kind of agreement, the lease terminates at the end every month and is renewed upon payment…Read more ›

Pennsylvania Rental Application

The Pennsylvania Rental Application Form is a form that most landlords will require any potential tenants to fill out. As an eviction process can often be long and costly, this can allow a landlord to screen any tenants they believe…Read more ›

Pennsylvania Sublease Agreement

The Pennsylvania Sublet Agreement is an agreement through which the current tenant (the sublessor) leases out part or all of the property they are leasing to another party (the sublessee). This is typically because the sublessor wishes to acquire a…Read more ›

Pennsylvania Residential Lease Agreement

The Pennsylvania Standard One (1) Year Lease Agreement is the most basic form of a Residential Lease Agreement. Unlike a Month to Month Lease Agreement, the lease cannot be altered or the tenant evicted unless the lease has been violated…Read more ›

Pennsylvania Rental Laws

Laws are pursuant to Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. Title 13 2A1-2A5 and Title 68.

Security Deposits

A landlord is legally allowed to charge up to two months rent for a security deposit, for the first year of renting. For all subsequent years, the landlord is allowed to charge up to one month’s rent. If the tenant remains at a property for more than two (2) years, the tenant is entitled to interest paid on the security deposit.

If the amount of security deposit exceeds one hundred (100) dollars, the landlord must place the deposit in a state or federally regulated bank and must inform the tenant of the name and address of said bank. The landlord is required to return the deposit within thirty (30) after the tenant has vacated the property.

Rent

There are very few state laws regulating rent in Pennsylvania. As such there is no limit to the amount a landlord can charge for rent. The amount of rent and when it is due will be specified on the lease. If the rent is not paid on time, and in full, the lease may have a provision for a late fee. There is no law governing late fees in Pennsylvania, so any amount may be charged. However if the lease does not contain a provision for a late fee, the landlord is not entitled to charge one.

Rent Increases

In a Month to Month Lease, the landlord may alter the amount of rent required at their discretion. There is no law requiring any amount of notice before rent increases, although raising rent in a discriminatory or retaliatory manner is, of course, illegal. In a One Year Lease, the rent cannot be altered until the lease has terminated and been renegotiated, unless a provision in the lease specifies a rent increase.

Withholding Rent

It is possible, albeit complex, to withhold or deduct rent in Pennsylvania, due to the landlord failing to making vital repairs. Typically the tenant must request an inspection from city hall, the inspector must declare the house certified to go on Rent Withholding and the tenant must inform city hall in writing that they wish to go into Rent Withholding. Rent will then be paid into an Escrow Account. If the repairs are not made within six (6) months, the tenant will receive the contents of the Escrow Account. If the repairs are made, the landlord is entitled to the money in the Escrow Account

Eviction

In a Month to Month Agreement the lease can be terminated immediately, at the landlord’s discretion. Pennsylvania state law does not have any requirement for how much notice must be given to vacate, although the lease agreement will typically specify an amount of time.

In a One Year Lease, the landlord can begin the eviction process by serving the tenant with an Unconditional Quit Notice. The tenant will then have a certain amount of time to move out, depending on the offense and length of the lease. If the rent has gone unpaid, the tenant will have ten (10) days to move out. If the lease has been otherwise violated, the tenant will have fifteen (15) days to move out, if the lease is for one (1) year or less, or thirty (30) days to move out if the lease is for more than a year.

If the tenant does not vacate in that time, the landlord can seek an Eviction Notice from the local court system. Without an Eviction notice the landlord cannot disable utilities, change the locks, remove the tenants possessions or otherwise try to force the tenant to vacate.

Discrimination

In Pennsylvania it is illegal to alter rent or terms of the lease, refuse housing, deny availability of a property or otherwise discriminate against an individual for the following reasons:

  • race, color, national origin, ancestry, family status, national origin, sex, disability, physical or mental handicap
  • note that age, sexual orientation and gender identity are not covered

Landlord Right to Enter

There are no laws specifically regarding a landlord’s right to enter in Pennsylvania, and they are thus governed by common law. A landlord cannot typically enter without permission in a non-emergency situation unless they have provided 24 hours notice and enter at a reasonable time and for a reasonable reason.