Lower Merion, PA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

Section 75-1 of the Lower Merion Township Code defines PREMISES broadly, covering the land itself along with any single-family, duplex, or multifamily dwelling structure and its appurtenant structures and common areas, so the habitability obligations in Chapter 75 reach the whole rental property, not just the interior of a unit. Section 75-15A states the purpose behind Article IV, the Residential Rental Regulations: rental housing in the Township must be decent, safe, and sanitary, and must be operated and maintained so it does not become a nuisance to the neighborhood or an influence that fosters blight or deterioration.

Section 75-17A(6) turns that purpose into a licensing condition: all dwelling units and common areas, including sidewalks, stairways, and yards, must be found in compliance with applicable codes before a residential rental license can be issued for the unit, and Section 75-17A(5) requires the Director's inspection to confirm it. The substantive maintenance standards behind that compliance finding sit in the Lower Merion Property Maintenance Code, Chapter 92 of the Township Code, which Section 75-4A cross-references directly: whenever a premises is found in violation of the Fire Prevention Code, the Housing Code, or the Property Maintenance Code and a notice of violation issues, the owner cannot terminate a lease, withhold services, or change lease terms until the violation is corrected.

Section 75-1 also defines SERVICES to include heat, light, water, and quiet enjoyment as necessities a tenant is legally entitled to under an existing lease or by law, giving the habitability standard concrete substance beyond the general purpose language. Section 75-20C reinforces that none of this waives an owner's separate obligation to comply with the Zoning Code, Chapter 155, so a rental property must clear code compliance on multiple fronts, not just the physical maintenance standard, to keep its license.