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It is our hope that this website will help to guide you through a successful experience as a landlord by providing general information and self-help resources regarding state and federal fair housing laws and Pennsylvania Landlord Tenant Law as it pertains to the rental of private residential property.
This website covers two bodies of rules regarding residential rental transactions in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (Act of 1955, P.L. 744, No. 222, as amended June 25,1997 by Act 34 OF 1997, 43 P.S. §§ 951-963) and the federal Fair Housing Amendments Act, 42 U.S.C. 360’1 et seq. protect consumers from being discriminated against, or treated in an unfair or prejudicial way, due to their membership in a category that is protected under these laws. Some municipalities in Pennsylvania adopt their own ordinances which add additional protections beyond those provided by state and federal law. Landlords need to be aware of these ordinances in the areas in which they have rental properties. The second is the Pennsylvania Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, 68 P.S. § 250.101 et seq. Pennsylvania Landlord Tenant Law protects both tenants and landlords by establishing basic rules and requirements for the rental of residential property.
Subsidized housing, rooming houses, mobile homes, and commercial property may have additional laws and requirements and are not discussed within the scope of this website.
This website is not intended as a substitute for proper legal advice. The Housing Equality Center cannot be held responsible for errors, omissions, or changes to the law.
The Housing Equality Center of Pennsylvania is a nonprofit organization leading the effort to eliminate housing discrimination in Pennsylvania through education, advocacy and enforcement of fair housing laws.
We provide education on fair housing rights to consumers and organizations serving members of the protected classes and offer training and technical assistance to private and nonprofit housing providers and local governments. The Housing Equality Center provides fair housing counseling and testing investigation services for victims of housing discrimination in the City of Philadelphia and in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, and Northampton Counties in Pennsylvania.
If you have found this website helpful and would like to support efforts to assist residents of Pennsylvania regarding their fair housing rights, please consider making a contribution to the Housing Equality Center by visiting equalhousing.org and clicking on Donate Now.
Housing Equality Center
of Pennsylvania