Lower Merion, PA Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)

Article IV of Chapter 75, the Residential Rental Regulations, opens with Section 75-16, which makes it unlawful for the owner of a residential rental unit or a multi-unit dwelling to operate or permit tenant occupancy without first obtaining a license for the unit; a unit the owner occupies as a primary residence is exempt. Section 75-17 sets the application requirements: the owner's name, address, email, and cell number; the names and contact information of every owner and, for a partnership or corporation, its managing partners or officers; the contact information of whoever is responsible for maintaining the property, who must live within 10 miles of the rental; and a separate license for each unit if the owner holds more than one rental in the Township.

The application must be accompanied by the fee set in the Board of Commissioners' schedule of fees, and by applying, the owner agrees that every rental agreement will let the Director inspect the unit. Section 75-19 sets the license term at one year, from January 1 through December 31, with a license and inspection fee that may vary by category of premises, due on issuance or renewal; the license states the maximum number of tenants the unit may hold, and no license issues if the owner owes any fines, costs, or fees under the article or another Township ordinance.

Section 75-17B lets the Director deny, suspend, revoke, or decline to renew a license for false statements, failure to abate a code violation, failure to pay required fees, failure to register with the Business Tax Collector, or three violations of the article or other applicable ordinances within a license term, with the owner able to appeal that action under Section 75-18 to the Board of Commissioners within 30 days. Section 75-22 makes operating without a valid license, or making a materially false statement on the application, unlawful, with a penalty of a fine of not more than $1,000 plus costs and up to 30 days in jail for nonpayment, each day or each violated section counted as its own separate offense.