Pennsylvania Rent Control Preemption Statewide

Pennsylvania has no general rent control enabling statute. Under Dillon's Rule, Pennsylvania municipalities lack authority to enact rent control without express legislative grant. Only Philadelphia, as a home-rule city of the first class, has narrow authority and has not adopted standard rent stabilization. Landlord-Tenant Act of 1951 (68 P.S. 250.101 et seq.) governs leases and security deposits universally without price caps.

Municipalities adopting unauthorized rent control face state preemption challenges; ordinances are typically declared invalid by courts, with no enforceable penalties on landlords.