Free Pennsylvania Residential Lease Agreement

A properly prepared Pennsylvania residential lease agreement is an essential step to renting out a property. Create and customize your own rental contract now with step-by-step guidance.

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Table of Contents:

What is a Pennsylvania Lease Agreement
Types of PA Lease Agreements
Pennsylvania Laws
Pennsylvania Required Disclosures
Related Documents
PA Lease Agreement Sample
Pennsylvania Lease Agreement FAQs

What is a Pennsylvania Lease Agreement

A Pennsylvania lease agreement is an important legal contract used to rent out real estate for a specified period of time. This document is designed to conform to the residential and property laws in PA to ensure that both the landlord and the tenant are legally protected.

Once this template is filled in and signed, it becomes binding for both parties. The lease will ultimately police how the property may be used, what expenses must be paid, and how long it may be used by the tenant.

Types of PA Lease Agreements

There are several different types of lease agreements that can be used in Pennsylvania. These vary depending on the type of property being leased and the nature of the agreement between the landlord and tenant.

The most commonly used lease agreements in PA are the following:

Standard residential lease agreement: This leases the property to the tenant for a fixed term, during which the contract cannot be changed.

Month-to-month lease agreements: These are more flexible than standard agreements and are renewed on a monthly basis.

Roommate lease agreements: If the landlord wishes to rent a room in the home that they live in, they may use a roommate agreement to cover this.

Subleasing agreements: These kinds of rental contracts are used when a tenant wishes to rent the property they are leasing to a subtenant. This can usually be only be done with the express permission of the landlord.

Commercial lease agreements: This kind of agreement is signed between a landlord of commercial property and any business which wishes to operate from these premises.

Pennsylvania Laws

It is crucial to understand and comply with the laws of Pennsylvania when creating lease agreements and renting a property in the state. There are certain important rules that must be followed by landlords in this undertaking:

Security deposits: Landlords in Pennsylvania can only charge up to 2 months’ rent as a deposit amount. This sum of money must be returned to the tenant within 30 days of the end of the lease; with or without deductions for damages.

Landlord’s entry: In Pennsylvania, there are no statutes governing how much notice a landlord must give a tenant before entering the premises. However, it is recommended to provide at least 24 hours’ notice as a courtesy.

Pennsylvania Required Disclosures

Pennsylvania state requires that lease agreements include a number of important disclosures. These are provided on the contract to inform the tenant about specific rights that are enshrined in the laws of the state.

On your PA residential lease agreement, you must include the following sections and addendums:

Capacity for Landlord to Distrain for Rent: This explains that the landlord may seize the personal property of the tenant if they do not pay the rent on time. However, it also stipulates that the landlord must give five (5) days’ written notice before doing so and exempts certain items from seizure. Furthermore, it forbids any collection of possessions from taking place between 7 am and 7 pm on a Sunday.

Consumer Notice for Tenants: If the licensee showing the property (such as a real estate agent) has an interest in the property (e.g. they are the owner, related to the owner, or work for the owner) they must disclose the fact during their first meeting with the tenant.

Lead-Based Paint: Under federal law, you must disclose whether or not lead-based paint can be found on the property if it was built before 1979. You must also provide the tenant with a government pamphlet on the dangers of lead paint.

PA Lease Agreement Sample

Before creating your own PA lease agreement for the first time it can be useful to look over an example template. Review our lease agreement sample below to get a better idea of how your final document will appear.

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Pennsylvania Lease Agreement FAQs

There’s much to know when creating your own Pennsylvania lease agreement. Use our FAQs below to get further details on what you must include and how these essential legal contracts work.

What Is the Difference Between a Rental and a Lease Agreement?

The key difference between a Pennsylvania lease agreement and a rental agreement is the length of the contract. Leases are most often fixed-term arrangements that last 6 months or more. Rental agreements on the other hand are much more flexible as they renew on a monthly or even weekly basis.

How Much Can the Landlord Raise the Rent?

Once a fixed-term lease agreement has been signed the landlord cannot change the amount of the rent. However, in some cities and counties, there are limits on how much a landlord may increase rent. This applies to monthly agreements or when a new lease is being negotiated.

Where rent control rules apply, landlords must provide tenants with a minimum amount of written notice (usually around 30 days) before increasing their rent. They must also ensure that the rise in these costs do not exceed the amount allowed by local statutes.

Before planning any rental increases it is advised to check which laws apply to you. You can find out this information from your local residential association.

What Terms Are Illegal in a Lease Agreement?

There are some terms that may not be added to a lease agreement. They are considered illegal and will invalidate the agreement. These include the following provisions:

Waivers that prevent the tenant from suing the landlord.
Provisions that allow the landlord unrestricted entry to the property beyond what the law allows.
Any terms that waive the tenant’s right to having their security deposit returned.

When is Rent Considered Late?

The lease agreement will normally stipulate a due date on which rent must be paid. Unless the contract details any grace periods, rent that is not paid on this date will be considered late and penalty fees or eviction proceedings may be considered.

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Preview of your Pennsylvania Residential Lease Agreement

PENNSYLVANIA
RESIDENTIAL LEASE AGREEMENT

This Lease Agreement (hereinafter, the "Lease Agreement") is dated as of _________ (hereinafter, the "Effective Date") and is entered into by and between _________ (hereinafter, the "Landlord") and the following residents:
_________
(hereinafter, the "Tenant(s)").

The Landlord and the Tenant(s) agree as follows:

1. PROPERTY

The Landlord rents to the Tenant(s) and the Tenant(s) rents from the Landlord a certain real property and improvements described as a house (hereinafter, the "Property"), according to the terms and conditions described in this Lease Agreement.

Property is located at _________, _________, Pennsylvania _________ (hereinafter, the "Property").

Unless otherwise indicated in the Lease Agreement, no other portion of the Property or the building (hereinafter, the "Building") is included in the Lease.

2. TERM

The term of this Lease Agreement begins on _________ (hereinafter, the "Commencement Date") and shall terminate on _________ (hereinafter, the "Termination Date").

Upon the Termination Date, the Tenant(s) shall be required to vacate the Property unless one of the following circumstances occur: (i) The Landlord and the Tenant(s) formally extend this Lease Agreement in writing or create, execute, and sign a new one; (ii) Mandated by local rent control law; or (iii) The Landlord willingly accepts new rent from the Tenant(s), which does not constitute past due rent. In this case, a month-to-month tenancy shall be created, which the Tenant(s) may terminate by giving written notice as provided by law. All other terms and conditions of this Agreement will remain in full force and effect.

3. MANAGEMENT

The Tenant(s) is hereby notified that the owner or Landlord _________ is the property manager in charge of repairs or maintenance of the Property.

If the Tenant(s) has any complaint regarding any issue about the Property, _________ shall be contacted by one of the following methods:

Address: _________
Telephone: _________
Email: _________

4. RENT

The Tenant(s) shall pay the Landlord monthly rent in the amount of $_________ (hereinafter, the "Rent") for each full month during this lease.

The full month's rent is due and payable not later than the 1st day of each month lease period.

Please Take Notice that mail delays will not excuse the Tenant(s)'s obligation to pay the rent in a timely manner.

Place of Payment:

The Tenant(s) shall remit all rent payment amounts owed to the Landlord under this Lease Agreement to the Landlord and make all amounts payable to the following address:

_________

The Landlord may later change the person and place to which the Tenant(s) must remit the rental amounts due under this Lease Agreement.

Please Take Notice that you must place the Property address and the Tenant(s)'s name on all payments.

Method of Payment:

The Tenant(s) shall pay all rent by selecting any of the following forms of payment (select one or more):

5. OCCUPANTS

During the Term of this Lease Agreement, the only individuals the Tenant(s) may permit to reside on the Property are the following:

_________

6. ABSENCES

If the Tenant(s) vacates the property for a prolonged time-period or abandons it, such Tenant(s) shall notify the Landlord in advance or the Landlord shall immediately have the right to terminate the Lease Agreement and remove all belongings, including any personal items off of the Property. No notice shall be given to the Tenant(s) by the landlord to enter the Property if the Tenant(s) has abandoned or surrendered the Property.

7. MAINTENANCE

The Landlord shall maintain the Property at all times and perform all repairs reasonably necessary. The primary duty of the landlord shall be to meet the implied warranty of habitability of the Property, that is, that the Property is in a safe, livable condition.

Additionally, during the Term of this Lease Agreement and any renewal thereof, Tenant(s) shall:

(1) Keep the Property clean and safe, use all electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning facilities and appliances in a reasonable manner.
(2) Repair any damage arising from the act or negligence of Tenant, Occupants, or guests, agents, visitors, and invitees, at tenant's expense.
(3) Surrender the Property in as good order and condition as when received, reasonable wear and tear excepted, upon the termination of this Lease Agreement.
(4) Immediately notify the Landlord, in writing, of any problem, malfunction or damage; otherwise, the Tenant(s) will be liable for the costs of any such damage, which might have been avoided had the Tenant promptly notified the Landlord of the defect.

8. REPAIRS

All requests for repairs must be in writing and delivered to the Landlord. Only in the event of an emergency related to the condition of the Property that materially affects the physical health or safety of an ordinary Tenant, the Tenant(s) may call the Landlord.

The Tenant(s) may not repair or cause to be repaired any condition, regardless of the cause, without the Landlord's permission. All decisions regarding repairs, including the completion of any repair, whether to repair or replace the item and the selection of contractors, will be at the Landlord's sole discretion.

The Landlord does not have a duty to repair or remedy a condition if:

(1) The Tenant(s) is delinquent in rent at the time a repair notice is given.
(2) The condition was caused by the Tenant(s), a member of the Tenant's family, or a guest or invitee of the Tenant (unless the condition was caused by normal wear and tear).

The parties agree that 7 days is a reasonable period of time for the Landlord to make a diligent effort to repair a condition unless there are circumstances that establish that a different period of time is appropriate (such as the severity and nature of the condition and the availability of materials, labor, and utilities).

If in an emergency, it shall become necessary to make any repairs or replacements by the Tenant(s) without prior written consent from the Landlord, at Landlord's expenses, and such repairs or replacements are found to be unsatisfactory and to have caused additional damages, the Tenant(s) shall reimburse Landlord for the cost of making such repairs.

9. UTILITIES AND SERVICES

The Tenant(s) shall be solely responsible for and shall pay expenses for all utilities and services used or consumed at the Property.

10. HOLDOVER TENANCY

If the Tenant(s) holds over in occupancy of the Property after the expiration of the Lease Term with the express written consent of the Landlord, a new tenancy from month-to-month shall be created between the Landlord and the Tenant(s) which shall be subject to all of the terms and conditions hereof except that such tenancy shall be terminable upon thirty (30) days written notice served by either party.

If the Tenant(s) holds over in occupancy of the Property after the expiration of the Lease Term, without the express written consent of the Landlord, such tenancy shall not constitute a renewal hereof or an extension for any further term, and in such case, the Tenant(s) will pay Landlord rent for the holdover period and indemnify Landlord and prospective tenants for damages, including but not limited to lost rent, lodging expenses, costs of eviction, and attorneys' fees. Rent for any holdover period will be three (3) times the monthly rent, calculated on a daily basis, and will be immediately due and payable daily without notice or demand.

11. HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

The Tenant(s) shall not keep or have on the Property any article or item of a dangerous, flammable, or explosive material on the Property that might unreasonably increase the danger of fire or explosion on the Property or that might be considered hazardous or extra hazardous by any responsible insurance company.

12. LANDLORD ACCESS TO PROPERTY

The Landlord and the Landlord's agents shall have the right at all reasonable times, and by all reasonable means during the term of this Lease Agreement and any renewal thereof, to enter the Property for the following purposes:

(i) Survey the Property's condition and take photographs to document the condition.
(ii) Make repairs or improvements to the Property.
(iii) Supply agreed services.
(iv) Show the Property to prospective buyers or tenants.
(v) Exercise a contractual or statutory lien.
(vi) Leave a written notice.
(vii) Seize nonexempt property if the Tenant(s) is in default.

Except in case of emergency, the Landlord will give the Tenant(s) reasonable notice of intent to enter. For these purposes, twenty-four (24) hour written notice will be deemed reasonable.

13. ASSIGNMENT/SUBLETTING

The Tenant(s) shall not, without the prior written consent of Landlord, which may be withheld at the Landlord's sole discretion, voluntarily or involuntarily assign, mortgage, encumber or hypothecate this Lease or any interest herein or sublet the Property or any part thereof.

The Tenant(s) is specifically prohibited from offering all or part of the Property for short-term rental such as through AirBnB, VRBO, or other such sites or programs. Any advertising or on-line postings, as well as actual rentals of the Property to vacation or short-term guests, shall constitute a material breach of this Lease Agreement.

Any person who is not a Tenant who occupies any portion of the Property, for any period of time whatsoever, for any compensation or consideration whatsoever (including, without limitation, the payment of money and/or trade and/or barter of other goods, services, or property occupancy rights) is NOT a guest, and such occupancy constitutes unauthorized subletting or assignment which is a substantial and material breach of this Lease Agreement.

14. NOTICES

Notice required by statute will be given in accordance with the applicable statute. All other notices shall be deemed sufficient if made as follows:

- All notices to the Landlord shall be directed by personal delivery or first-class mail to the Landlord at the appropriate address set forth below, until Tenant is notified, in writing, to the contrary.

- All notices to Tenant shall be directed by personal delivery or first-class mail to Tenant at the Leased Property or any forwarding address provided in writing by Tenant to the Landlord.

Landlord:

_________
_________

Tenant:

_________
_________, _________, _________

Such addresses may be changed from time to time by any party by providing notice as set forth above.

15. GOVERNING LAW

This Lease Agreement shall be governed, construed, and interpreted by the Laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

16. INFORMATION

- This lease is negotiable between the parties. This lease is binding upon final acceptance. READ IT CAREFULLY. If you do not understand the effect of this lease, consult your attorney BEFORE signing.

Receipt

Initials

Tenant

Landlord

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Landlord and Tenant have executed this Agreement in the manner prescribed by law as of the Effective Date.

Landlord:

By: ___________________________ Date: __________________
_________

Tenant:

By: ___________________________ Date: __________________
_________

Pennsylvania Lease Agreement
Inspection Checklist

Address: _________, _________, _________

The Tenant(s) has inspected the Property and states that the Property is in satisfactory condition, free of defects, except as noted below:

	SATISFACTORY	COMMENTS
Bathrooms	_________	_________________________
Carpeting	_________	_________________________
Ceilings	_________	_________________________
Closets	_________	_________________________
Countertops	_________	_________________________
Dishwasher	_________	_________________________
Disposal	_________	_________________________
Doors	_________	_________________________
Fireplace	_________	_________________________
Lights	_________	_________________________
Locks	_________	_________________________
Refrigerator	_________	_________________________
Screens	_________	_________________________
Stove	_________	_________________________
Walls	_________	_________________________
Windows	_________	_________________________
Window coverings	_________	_________________________
_________	_________	_________________________
_________	_________	_________________________

_____________________

Date

Tenant:

By: ___________________________Date: __________________
_________

Acknowledged by Landlord:

By: ___________________________Date: __________________
_________