Pennsylvania has many rules and statutes regulating its housing market. These must be fully considered when preparing an application for rental properties in the state.
Application Fee
This law states that there is no limit in terms of what application fee can be charged by Pennsylvania landlords. Furthermore, the application fee is non-refundable regardless of its amount.
Security Deposit
Landlords cannot charge more than 2 months’ rent if they are leasing an unfurnished apartment under PA law (§ 511.1(a)).
This deposit must be returned within 30 days of the tenant moving out.
For any security deposit over $100, landlords must keep that money in an escrow account or place it in an interest-bearing account (§ 250.511b).
Landlords are also not required to supply a receipt for the security deposit.
Housing Discrimination Law
In Pennsylvania, there is no specific state law relating to housing discrimination. However, the Fair Housing Act (FHA) is in place. The FHA states that it is illegal to discriminate based on the following characteristics:
- Race
- Color
- Nationality
- Religion
- Sex
- Familial status
- Disability
- Criminal history
As a consequence, you are not allowed to ask for any of these details on a Pennsylvania Rental Application form nor to include them in the decision-making process.
Notice of Eligibility
Potential tenants must be informed about the screening criteria and reasons for denial or approval. To prove that these facts were shared, a signature of acknowledgment must be provided within the application or alongside it.
If you need a consumer report for an applicant, such as criminal history, and take an adverse action against them, you have to give the applicant a notice letter.
This letter is known as an adverse action notice.
You need to provide one if you reject the applicant, require a co-signer, require a large security deposit, or require higher rent.
Consent Credit Check
Within Pennsylvania, a federal law is in effect that requires potential renters to provide written consent for a credit history check during the application process. This is known as the Federal Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).