pa landlord tenant law utilities
Code, Real Property 8-212.4). This may be considered an illegal attempt to evict you without going through proper legal procedures and if this happens or if the landlord threatens this, you should consult an attorney or call legal aid. If your rental property offers utilities your tenants will use, then you may be wondering who should cover any associated fees. 717-787-8242 Code, Real Property 8-212.3. Robert Ballenger, J.D., MSW, codirector of Community Legal Services of Philadelphias energy unit. This must be an intentional action by the landlord and not a result of a natural cause (for example, widespread power outages due to a storm). 68 P.S. If you do not believe a utility is providing a payment term you can report them to the Public Utility Commission (PUC) at, Show that you paid your bill or show that there is a disagreement (dispute) about your bill. These are some common laws on utilities: If you do decide to include utilities in the rent price, your lease agreement should inform the tenant on who pays what. Create an account to make a lease agreement for your rental and collect rental fees from tenants. 250.511a. Finally, if the utility company shuts off your utility service without first giving you the proper notice, you may contact the Office of Consumer Protection at (814) 871-4371 or 1-800-441-2555 for help in enforcing the law. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney. There is an anti-retaliation provision in the law that presumes illegal retaliation if an owner seeks to raise the rent or evict a tenant within 6 months of the tenant exercising their rights under the Pennsylvania Utility Code except in cases of nonpayment of rent. A landlord can take steps to evict the tenant with a 10-Day Notice to Quit, giving them ten days to settle unpaid rent. If necessary, call the Public Utility Commission at 1-800-692-7380. Our guide clearly and concisely outlines those laws so Pennsylvanians can rent with confidence. If youre paying for all utilities, you have a few options: There are different ways to collect payments for utilities, so its important to determine the option thats best for you. If the utilities are shut off, the tenant has two options: (1) withhold rent and be subject to eviction or (2) continue to make rent payments into an escrow account created by the local District Court. (b) requires you to give the other party a written If the utility wont give you notice, PhillyTenant.org suggests contacting the Water Revenue Bureau at 215-685-6300 and asking for an informal hearing request form (or, if its Peco or PGW, you can file an informal complaint with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission at 800-692-7380). In addition, Pennsylvania landlord tenant law prohibits landlords from discriminating someone as a renter because of age. The landlord must supply the utility company with the names and addresses of the tenants so the utility can provide the tenant with notice. Code, Public Utilities 7-303. If you do need to contact the utility either to take over payments or to request that the account be put in your name, you will need to demonstrate that you are a tenant, Ballenger says. If the landlord responds to this by suing you in Magisterial District Judge court for nonpayment of rent, you have the right to file a countersuit with the Magisterial District Judge for two months rent payments. Mailing Address: It is made only more difficult if you dont understand the laws that govern landlords and tenants in Pennsylvania. *Familial status - pregnant women and families with person(s) under 18. Can a Landlord Charge a Tenant for Utilities? 68 P.S. 250.101. Read the Law: Md. *Normal wear and tear is the natural deterioration of the property (and its contents) from normal everyday use. If your current rent price is on the higher end for your area, then adding utilities may limit the number of tenants that can afford to rent your property. WebA Landlord is obligated to supply possession of the premises as agreed in the lease. The lease agreement should also state if theyre responsible for setting up those utilities once moved in or include the utility fees in their rent payments. Most commonly, if your landlord is responsible for paying a utility bill, its most likely going to be the water bill, says Robert Ballenger, codirector of Community Legal Services of Philadelphias energy unit. Seek legal counsel as soon as possible if you do this. 
refund any remaining deposit within 30 days. (i), Pennsylvania Landlord Tenant Law: Pennsylvania Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, Pennsylvania Landlord Tenant Handbook: Self-Help Handbook for Tenants. In the absence of file-specific attribution or copyright, the Maryland Thurgood Marshall State Law Library may hold the copyright to parts of this website. Even when the water, sewer, gas or electric is included in your monthly rental payments, a landlord cannot legally shut off your utility service. This Handbook from North Penn Legal Services provides detailed information about renting a residence from a landlord from North Penn Legal Services (NPLS). (TITLE 68) CHAPTER 8 LANDLORD AND TENANT LANDLORD AND TENANT ACT OF 1951 ARTICLE I. In Philadelphia, the Utility Service Tenants Rights Act applies to the water bill from the Philadelphia Water Department, while the Discontinuance of Service to Leased Premises Act applies to bills from Peco and Philadelphia Gas Works. The length of the process will vary depending on the circumstances of the eviction. 68 P.S. Anyone who has questions about the information in our guide, or who feels that their rights may have been violated, should reach out to my office.. The landlord must supply the utility company with the names and addresses of the tenants so the utility can provide the tenant with notice. 250.505a. If your lease does not include any terms about who is responsible for utilities, you should not sign or agree to the lease. WebSection9. 
250.502-A Tenant Duties and Responsibilities Pennsylvania landlord tenant law 68 P.S. If you have already signed the lease, talk to an attorney to evaluate your situation and figure out who must pay for the utilities. Copyright Housing Equality Center of Pennsylvania 2023. Can My Landlord Retaliate Against Me for Asserting My Rights Regarding Utilities? Code, Real Property 8-211. 250.503-A) Tenants must comply with all obligations imposed upon tenants by building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety. Violations of the Rental Agreement. Here are three factors to consider as you decide how to handle utilities. If youve been renting a home or apartment for any amount of time, you know that its not uncommon for your landlord to have some utility bills in their name. That kind of added surcharge is illegal under the Landlord Tenant Act. Any bill you pay to get the service restored can be deducted from your rental payments. If you and your utility company cannot agree, call the Public Utility Commission (PUC) at. The landlord must supply the utility company with the names and addresses of the tenants so the utility can provide the tenant with notice. If there are three units in a building, then there must be three separate meters for each of the apartments and a separate meter for the common areas. If the tenant is responsible for paying the utility bill, the Pennsylvania Utility Code requires the landlord to ensure that each residential unit is individually metered. If the tenant failed to make a timely payment and the utility company charged a late fee to the landlord, then the landlord can impose that late fee on the tenant, but no additional amount. First and foremost, you can take over monthly payments going forward, and you do not need to assume the back bill of your landlord.
If the tenant is being charged by the landlord for a metered utility (such as gas or electric), the landlord can only impose costs and fees that were charged to the landlord. WebThe Pennsylvania Landlord Tenant Act requires the landlord to maintain the property and its common areas in a safe and habitable condition. Pennsylvania Security Deposit Laws. HiUpuT. Ask to set up a payment agreement. However we do not provide legal advice - the application of the law to your individual circumstances. 
If the tenant fails to pay after the notice to quit, a landlord can continue filing an eviction action. If tenants are looking for rentals that include utilities in the rent price, most apartment hunting websites allow tenants to filter listings by that criteria. Do you receive unwanted calls? There are some requirements for the tenant to deduct the payments from rent. They choose tenants in a nondiscriminatory way, maintain their rental properties, and follow state rules on the limits, uses, and return of security deposits. 
Pennsylvania law has many different rules surrounding breaking a lease agreement, especially when it comes to ending it before it expires. Can Tenant Withhold Rent if Utilities are Not Paid For/Shut Off? If the rent is paid within seven days, then tenancy shall continue.
Uncover important details of the Pennsylvania Landlord Tenant Act here. Pennsylvania does not have any laws regarding landlord right to entry. Generally, issues impacting utilities are categorized as a maintenance issue that the landlord will need to help with resolving. Pennsylvania landlord tenant law requires the landlord to inform the tenant of the terms and conditions for security deposit deductions. 250.512.(c). But if they experience issues with their utilities, such as no hot water, then you will need to assist with the issue to get it resolved in a timely manner. Tenant'srighttowithholdrent. If a written rental agreement so provides, a landlord using the submeter billing method described in ORS 90.532 (1)(c) may require a tenant to pay to the landlord a utility or service charge that has been billed by a utility or service provider to the landlord for utility or service provided directly to the tenant's space as measured by a submeter. While youre legally required to provide access to heat and hot water, it may be the tenants responsibility to set it up and pay for it. individually account for all damages and rent owed in writing. stream