NO! In the City of Philadelphia, Landlords are required to have a current rental license and certificate of rental suitability in order to file for eviction.

Property owners must give new tenants a copy of a Certificate of Rental Suitability issued by L&I no more than 60 days before to the start of the lease.

Owners must certify that they are following lead safety laws.

Any property built before March 1978 must be certified as lead-free or lead-safe. If the property was built later, you must file for an exemption.

To receive this license, you must:

1. Be current on all City of Philadelphia taxes and fines. If you aren’t sure if your City tax account is in good standing, get a tax clearance before you apply for a Rental License.

2. Not have any outstanding L&I violations.

All residential rental properties are required to maintain an active rental license.

You need a Rental License to rent out dwelling, rooming, or sleeping units to tenants. This can include residential dwellings and units, rooms in a home, dormitories, and certain visitor accommodations.

One license can cover all units in a single building. If there are multiple buildings on your property, you must get a Rental License for each building.

Rental Licenses are not transferrable. If you are the new owner of a previously licensed property, you must close the old Rental License and apply for a new one.

This license must be renewed annually. There is a late fee for renewals filed more than 60 days after the Rental License has expired. Philly Rental License can help you keep track of your Rental License renewal deadlines to avoid any late fees.

1. Have a valid email address.

2. Be current on all City of Philadelphia taxes and fines. If you aren’t sure if your city tax account is in good standing, get a tax clearance before you renew a Rental License.

3. Not having any outstanding L&I violations.

4. Follow lead safety laws.

Separate Rental Licenses are required for each condominium unit. If you have an existing Rental License that lists multiple condominium units and are receiving an error while in the process of renewing it, please make a virtual or in-person appointment at the Permit and License Center to review with an agent.

If you co-own the property with a spouse:

The Commercial Activity License and Rental License may be issued in both spouse’s names or one spouse’s name. The spouse who is not named on the licenses must still be identified as a spouse on the associated business tax account.

If the property is owned by more than one person and they are not married, you have two options:

1) Form a business in the name of all of the partners. Name all of the owners on the associated business tax account. L&I will issue the Commercial Activity License in the name of the business. L&I will issue the Rental License in the name of the partners as listed on the deed (if this is different from the business name). L&I only issues one Rental License per property.

2) One owner assumes responsibility for the property. The responsible owner must submit an affidavit stating that they are responsible for meeting all obligations of the license and responding to notices, orders, or summons relating to the rental. The Commercial Activity License, Rental License, and associated business tax account will be issued in the name of the responsible owner.

A Rental License is not required to rent out a commercial space. The proper owner needs a Commercial

Activity License. The commercial space must be properly zoned for the commercial use.

You do not need a Rental License if a unit is being occupied by a family member and no rent is collected.

However, you need to submit an Affidavit of Non-rental. This document must be notarized.

If you own an unoccupied residential property, you need a Vacant Residential Property License . The

license helps the City keep track of properties that are not occupied and assists the City in safety efforts. If you need this license and don’t get it, you may be subject to fines and violations.