Tenant Rulebook
General information from state law and official guides, not legal advice. Cities and counties can add their own rules.

All states

Landlord and tenant rules in Pennsylvania

The statewide rules on deposits, notice, entry and rent in Pennsylvania, mainly from the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 (Act 20 of 1951). Checked 29 October 2026.

Security deposits and fees

Security deposit limit

2 months' rent in year one, then 1 month1,2Act 20 of 1951, s. 511.1

In the first year of a lease the deposit may not be more than two months' rent. From the start of the second year it may not be more than one month's rent.

Deposit return deadline

30 days1,2Act 20 of 1951, s. 512

Within 30 days after the lease ends or the tenant moves out, the landlord must return the deposit or send a written list of damages with any balance. A landlord who misses the deadline loses the right to keep any of it.

Interest on deposits

Required after 2 years for deposits over $1001,2Act 20 of 1951, s. 511.2

After a deposit of more than $100 has been held for two years, the tenant is owed the interest it earns each year. The landlord may keep 1% a year as a fee.

Late fees

No set cap in the AG guide, should be reasonable2

The Attorney General's guide gives no set cap. It says late fees should not be excessive and should bear a reasonable relation to the landlord's costs.

Notice, entry and rent

Tenant ending a month-to-month tenancy

15 days2

The Attorney General's guide says a month-to-month or year-to-year tenancy renews automatically unless the tenant or landlord gives at least 15 days' notice before the current term ends.

Landlord ending a month-to-month tenancy

15 days1,2Act 20 of 1951, s. 501(b)

For a lease of one year or less, or with no fixed end, the landlord's notice to quit must give the tenant 15 days to move out. Leases of more than one year need 30 days.

Notice of a rent increase

Not yet confirmed

We have not confirmed this from an official source, so we show no figure.

Statewide rent limits

Not yet confirmed

We have not confirmed this from an official source, so we show no figure.

Landlord entry

Not yet confirmed

We have not confirmed this from an official source, so we show no figure.

Notice for unpaid rent

10 days1,2Act 20 of 1951, s. 501(b)

For unpaid rent, the landlord's notice to quit must give the tenant 10 days to move out.

Many cities and counties add their own rules, such as rent stabilization or longer notice periods, and a lease can give a tenant more protection than the law requires. Check your local housing office or a legal aid group before you act.

Sources

  1. Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, Act 20 (PDF), Pennsylvania General Assemblyofficial
  2. Consumer Guide to Tenant and Landlord Rights (Version 1.1), Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, 2022-06-13official

"Secondary" sources reproduce the official text. We use them only where the official site could not be read.