Philadelphia Renters’ Access Act
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When screening Tenants and filling a vacancy, Philadelphia Landlords must comply with all terms of the Philadelphia Renters Access Act. Download a copy now to ensure your tenant screening process is legally compliant.
Document Last Modified: 9/23/2025
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Tenant Screening Requirements: Philly Renters’ Access Act
The Philadelphia Renters Access Act went into effect on October 13, 2021. The purpose of the act is to ensure fair screening practices and fair access to housing.
Some key requirements that Philadelphia Landlords need to be familiar with are:
- Landlords must provide Applicants with written or electronic uniform screening criteria before accepting a Rental Application or Rental Application Fee. The uniform screening criteria should not include any prohibited screening criteria.
- If an Applicant is rejected, the Landlord must provide a written statement of the reasons for the rejection and copies of any screening reports the Landlord used in this decision. The Landlord must provide this within 3 days of the rejection.
- Within 48 hours of rejection, the Tenant can request reconsideration. If the Tenant shows that the Tenant meets the screening criteria, the Landlord must offer the Tenant the next comparable unit that is available. Note: This requirement only applies to Landlords who own five or more rental units.
- Landlords cannot have a “blanket exclusion policy” based solely on eviction records or credit score.
Review the entire Renters Access Act to ensure compliance with all screening requirements.