Philadelphia habitability

Do this today

• Photograph the condition. Write the date.
• Dial 311 or file with Philadelphia Licenses & Inspections.
• If there is no heat, no water, or a gas smell: 911 or the utility first.

What does “livable” mean in Philadelphia?

Heat, water, sanitation, and structural safety are the usual floor. The exact list is in Pennsylvania Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 and often in the city housing code Philadelphia Licenses & Inspections enforces. This desk does not reprint temperature charts or hour-counts.

What if nothing happens after I report it?

Keep the request numbers from 311 or Philadelphia Licenses & Inspections. Take that file to legal aid. Do not skip rent on a rumor. If the condition is dangerous tonight — no heat in winter, a gas leak, a collapsed ceiling — treat it as an emergency.

What does Philadelphia add on top of Pennsylvania law?

Pennsylvania’s Landlord and Tenant Act is the floor. Philadelphia Licenses and Inspections, the Fair Housing Commission, and local just-cause / good-cause rules for many tenancies are the City layer. Coverage is a unit question. L&I is not a substitute for Municipal Court.

The Philadelphia layer

L&I is the Philadelphia conditions and rental-license door. Municipal Court is where possession is heard.

Pennsylvania Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 (68 P.S. §§ 250.101 to 250.602) is the Pennsylvania floor. We name it. We do not paraphrase a day-count or a dollar cap out of it.

Philadelphia questions

National answers on this desk

• Is a landlord notice the same as being evicted?
• What number should I call right now?
• Is there a national tenant-rights law in the United States?
• What should I do if I get an eviction notice?
• How do I find free legal help as a renter?
• Can my landlord enter without notice?