What Are the Duties of a Landlord in Philadelphia
What are the duties of a landlord in Philadelphia and what are a tenant’s legal rights? Reporter Amy Simpson’s, with 18 News, sought out tenants who were willing to speak on the record about issues they’ve faced in their landlord struggles
Her Facebook post alone was shared, commented on, and reached by more than 8,000 people.
Many refused to go public. Tenants say they were afraid to speak out about their concerns for fear of retaliation by their landlords.
Situations like this boil down to an understanding of rights from both sides of a rental agreement.
“If a landlord has a difficulty with a tenant they have the right to seek a remedy through the justice court for whatever their damages may be.”
In addition to landlord’s rights and protections, Kagle says tenants have their own set of legal rights.
What are the duties of a landlord in Philadelphia?
According to The Complete Guide To Becoming A Landlord: Landlord-Tenant Relationship by Investopedia, “A landlord must provide safe and habitable units to tenants in compliance with local, state and federal statutes. A landlord must do the following:
- comply with current building and housing codes
- make all repairs and keep the property in habitable condition
- keep all common areas (halls, stairs, parking areas, etc.) in safe condition
- keep all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, HVAC and other facilities and appliances in good and safe working order
- provide properly functioning smoke detectors (placing new batteries in them at the beginning of a lease). And carbon monoxide detectors if the state requires.
- allow your tenant to modify the property to accommodate special needs as set forth in fair housing laws (such as allowing a service animal or installing a wheelchair ramp)
Eviction is one of the duties of a landlord in Philadelphia
In addition, a landlord may have a tenant evicted that does not pay rent, that fails to comply with the lease terms, whose conduct presents health or safety issues, or who conducts illegal activities on the premises. In such cases, you have a legal right to have the tenant and his or her belongings forcibly removed from your property – a process called eviction.
You cannot begin an eviction lawsuit until you terminate the tenancy by providing the tenant written notice. If the tenant does not remedy the situation or move out, you can then file a lawsuit to evict.
State laws vary regarding eviction, and it is important to follow the proper channels to avoid problems. You should have a thorough understanding of your rights and duties prior to evicting a tenant. Many landlords pay an attorney to assist with the eviction process.
This is one case where a landlord must know his rights and duties, and be able to justify his actions to the police and legal authorities. He also must evaluate quickly what to do in this situation, how to stop the sexual activity, and how to call the police. He must decide if there is a danger physically when he calls the police? It will make it easier to evict with all his ducks in a row.
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