Under 68 P.S. Section 250.501, a Pennsylvania landlord must serve a written notice to quit before eviction: 10 days for nonpayment of rent, and 15 days (term of one year or less) or 30 days (term over one year) at term-end or breach. The lease may shorten or waive the notice.
68 P.S. Section 250.501 sets the predicate notice to quit. In "case of failure of the tenant, upon demand, to satisfy any rent reserved and due," the notice must give the tenant ten days to remove. For termination at the end of a term or forfeiture for breach, the tenant gets 15 days when the lease is "for a term of one year or less or for an indeterminate time" and 30 days when it is "for more than one year." Service may be personal, by leaving it at the principal building on the premises, or by posting. The notice "may be for a lesser time or may be waived by the tenant if the lease so provides." Only a court judgment for possession, executed by a constable or sheriff, may carry out the removal; self-help is prohibited.
No specific statutory penalty for the notice itself, but filing without a valid notice to quit is grounds for dismissal. Self-help eviction, such as changing locks or removing belongings, exposes the landlord to liability; removal requires a court order executed by an officer.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia caps amplified music and other sound by decibels above background at the property boundary: 3 dB near hospitals/schools/houses of worship, 5 dB ...
Philadelphia, PA
On-street parking in Philadelphia is governed by Title 12 of The Philadelphia Code and enforced by the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA), with restriction...
Philadelphia, PA
No zoning permit is needed for a fence at or below the Zoning Code limits; exceeding them requires a permit and a ZBA appeal. A building permit is required f...
Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia generally prohibits keeping chickens, poultry, and livestock; farm animals (other than pigs) are allowed only on parcels of three or more acres,...
Philadelphia, PA
No Philadelphia-specific ordinance directly imposes wildland-style defensible-space or brush-clearance requirements; the dense urban setting means there is n...
Philadelphia, PA
True backyard ground fires (recreational fires and bonfires) are not freely allowed in Philadelphia. The Air Management Code Section 3-202 prohibits open fir...
See how Philadelphia's eviction notice & process rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.