Rental Inspections in Philadelphia, PA (2026)
2 verified rental inspections rules for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Inspection Programs
Philadelphia has no citywide proactive rental inspection sweep. Instead, owners get a rental license and a Certificate of Rental Suitability tied to open code violations, not a scheduled walkthrough.
Philadelphia Rental License Skips Routine Inspection
Some RestrictionsPhiladelphia Code § 9-3903(2)(b)
The Department shall issue a Certificate of Rental Suitability only after it determines that: (.1) The owner of the property has obtained all required licenses with respect to the property, including a rental license. (.2) There are no outstanding violation notices under this Code with respect to the property, except with respect to violations for which there is a pending appeal of which the ow...
Tenant Complaint Process
Philadelphia bars landlords from retaliating against tenants who report Housing or Fire Code violations, and lets tenants file with the Fair Housing Commission.
Landlord Can't Retaliate for Complaints
Some RestrictionsPhiladelphia Code § 9-804(2), (14)
It shall be unlawful for any owner, landlord, agent or other person operating or managing premises to terminate a lease with a tenant...in retaliation for: (a) any violation having been found against the premises; (b) the filing of a complaint alleging a violation... Any person aggrieved under the provisions of this Section may file a complaint with the Fair Housing Commission or may allege any...