Philadelphia Landlord Requirements

Philadelphia Landlord Required Documents

The following documents are now required by the City of Philadelphia to own a Rental Property and rent out to a tenant:

• A Commercial Activity License and Business Tax Account Number
• A current Rental License
• Rent Suitability Certificate (issued no more than 60 days prior to the start of tenancy)  
• EPA Lead Paint Pamphlet
• Partners for Good Housing Brochure
• Lead Paint Certificate or Exemption From (and proof that they were sent to the tenant, not required to be signed)*
• Philadelphia Childhood Lead Paint Poising Prevention Report
• Lease
• New Rental Licenses Supplemental Information Form

Additionally, but not related to evictions, you should also have included in your leasing package:

• Bed Bug Certification (Signed) & Brochure - new requirement

*If you have an uncooperative tenant (and therefore cannot get access to do the lead test) contact us as we have identified a process to obtain an “exemption” that has been accepted by the municipal court. 

Commercial Activity License and Business Tax Account Number

A Commercial Activity License (“CAL”) allows you to own and run a business in Philadelphia including renting out units for residential housing.   You need a Commercial Activity License to apply for housing rental license (which allows you to rent residential units).

There are two things that you need before you will be able to get a Commercial Activity License: 

• A Philly tax account number (also called a Business Income and Receipts Tax account or BIRT for short). 
• And also a Federal Identification number, or EIN (a Social Security # is okay if you are a sole proprietor). Luckily the application for a CAL is a combination application including the Philly Tax account number.

Del Val Charges $225 for each CAL.

Rental Licenses

You need a Rental License to rent housing units or properties to tenants. This license is issued by the Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I).  The current fee from the City of Philadelphia is $63 per unit.

You can apply for this license online using eCLIPSE or in person at the Permit and License Center.

Del Val Charges $175 for the first unit and $45 for each additional units to to obtain a Rental Licenses

Rent Suitability Certificate

Property owners that rent out residential property must give tenants a Certificate of Rental Suitability before they move in.  Property owners and their authorized agents can get this certificate.

In order to get a Certificate of Rental Suitability, you can’t have any outstanding violation notices related to property, except for violations pending appeal where the owner has notified L&I.

The owner of the leased space must provide a property that:

• Is safe and habitable.
• Has fire protection and smoke detectors that are in good working order.

The owner must maintain the property throughout the lease.

Del Val Charges $25 to obtain a Rental Suitability Certificate for our clients.

EPA Lead Pamphlet

EPA Pamphlet on Lead Paint-Required for distribution to your tenants.

Del Val will get this document signed by the tenant as part of lease signing process and upload to our property management software.

Partners For Good Housing Brochure

The City of Philadelphia requires all landlords to provide Partners in Good Housing brochures to tenants. This brochure is issued by the Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I). 

Del Val will get this document signed by the tenant as part of lease signing process and upload to our property management software.

City of Philadelphia - Lead Certification Acknowledgement Form

The City of Philadelphia recently amended the lead law which now requires ALL rental properties (not just those with children under 6) to have “Lead Safe or Lead Free Certificates” filed with the Public Health Department starting in 2020.  Landlords are required to:

1. Certify the property is lead safe or lead free. 
2. Submit the certificate to the Department of Public Health

For more Details please go here http://www.leadtestingservicesphila.com/lead-law

City of Philadelphia - Lead Certification Acknowledgement Form

Philadelphia now requires that either a “lead safe/lead free” certificate or an “EXEMPTION FORM” be filed for ALL of your rental units.  The exemption for not requiring a submission of a lead test is based upon the date the property was built.  If the property was built (from the ground up/including basement) after March 1978, you are not required to have the property tested, but you are REQUIRED to submit the exemption form.  If your building was not built after March 1978, your property is NOT EXEMPT.

For more Details please go here http://www.leadtestingservicesphila.com/lead-law 

All Del Val leases now have a Lead Paint Certificate Form that is signed by the tenants as part of our lease signing process.

Philadelphia Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Advisory Group Report

Bed Bug Certification and Brochure

In addition to the complexity of the new lead law, the City of Philadelphia also now (effective December 2020) requires that all tenant receive a copy of the Bed Bug Brochure .  This brochure is a guide to bed bug safety. 

We recommend that you include this brochure in your leasing package and also have the tenant certify that they received the brochure.

"NEW" Rental License-Supplemental Information Form

The following "Supplemental Information" is required to be completed for any "New Rental License" (not for renewals) and submitted through Eclipse in order to obtain a "new" rental license for a property in Philadelphia.