As a real estate professional in Philadelphia, you are accustomed to the additional
layers of regulation the City may place on your practice. Two changes impacting your
Landlord Tenant clients went into effect on December 2, 2025:
- Landlords may charge a fee for a background check or credit check, but the fee
cannot exceed the actual cost of performing the check or a total of $50,
whichever is less. Fees may only be charged if the credit or background check is
completed and the prospective tenant must be provided with a copy. Landlords
can only charge the same prospective tenant only once in a 12-month period when
that tenant applies to property they own. - Landlords cannot charge more than what state law permits. When a security
deposit is equal to one month’s rent or less, it may be collected in a lump sum.
However, if the deposit exceeds one month’s rent in the first year, tenants must
be offered a choice between paying the full amount upfront or paying in
installments—one month’s rent at move-in and the remainder split into
three equal monthly payments beginning the following month. The total amount
charged must remain the same regardless of the payment option selected.
For more information, please see the PowerPoint provided with details and
embedded links to the filed bills and updated law. If you have questions about these
Philadelphia-specific updates, please reach out to Kate Berard at Kate@gpar.org and
she will connect you with the appropriate resource.