Pennsylvania's Landlord and Tenant Act caps residential security deposits at two months' rent in the first year and one month after that. Landlords must return the deposit within 30 days of move-out with an itemized list of deductions.
Under 68 P.S. §250.511a-512, a Pennsylvania landlord may collect up to two months of rent as security during the first year of tenancy, dropping to one month for any year after the first. Deposits over $100 held more than two years must be placed in escrow at a regulated bank, with interest paid to the tenant. After move-out, the landlord has 30 days to return the deposit and provide a written list of damages with receipts; failure to do so forfeits the right to retain any portion and exposes the landlord to double-damages liability. Philadelphia does not add a separate cap, but the Fair Housing Commission accepts complaints.
Failing to return the deposit or to itemize deductions within 30 days waives the landlord's claim to the deposit and triggers liability for double the wrongfully withheld amount.
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See how Philadelphia's security deposit rules rules stack up against other locations.
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