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Sponsored byMary Louise Isaacson+15 co-sponsors
Last updated Oct 22, 2026 · PA · Source: LegiScan ↗
This Pennsylvania bill amends The Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 in the section on creation of leases to regulate rental applications. It caps the rental application fee a landlord or agent may charge for a residential dwelling unit at $20, requires that any such fee be used only to conduct a background check including criminal history and credit score, and mandates that the fee be reasonably related to actual administrative expenses and not used as a general revenue source. The bill clarifies that nothing prohibits or requires charging application fees for commercial or nonresidential property.
3170 PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 562 PRINTER'S NO. THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL 558 Session of No. 2025 INTRODUCED BY ISAACSON, CARROLL, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, DONAHUE, GREEN, HILL-EVANS, HOHENSTEIN, HOWARD, KENYATTA, NEILSON, PIELLI, SANCHEZ, WARREN, WAXMAN AND SMITH-WADE-EL, FEBRUARY 12, 2025 AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, APRIL 13, 2026 AN ACT 1 Amending the act of April 6, 1951 (P.L.69, No.20), entitled "An 2 act relating to the rights, obligations and liabilities of 3 landlord and tenant and of parties dealing with them and 4 amending, revising, changing and consolidating the law 5 relating thereto," in creation of leases, statute of frauds 6 and mortgaging of leaseholds, providing for rental 7 applications. 8 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 9 hereby enacts as follows: 10 Section 1. The act of April 6, 1951 (P.L.69, No.20), known 11 as The Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, is amended by adding a 12 section to read: 13 Section 207. Rental Applications . -- ( a) A landlord or th e 14 landlord's agent may not charge a rental application fee of mor e <-- 15 than twenty dollars ($20) to apply to enter into a rental 16 agreement for a residential dwelling unit. 17 (b) A landlord or the landlord's agent may only use a renta l 18 application fee to conduct a background check on the applicant. 19 A background check under this subsection shall include a check 1 of the applicant's criminal history record and credit score. 2 ONLY CHARGE A FEE THAT IS REASONABLY RELATED TO THE ACTUAL <-- 3 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES INCURRED AND MAY NOT USE FEES AS A 4 GENERAL REVENUE SOURCE. 5 (c ) (B ) Nothing in this section shall be construed t o <-- 6 prohibit a person from chargin g OR REQUIRE A PERSON TO CHARG E a <-- 7 rental application fee to apply to enter into a rental agreement 8 for commercia l , RESIDENTIA L or nonresidential property . <-- 9 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days. 20250HB0558PN3170 - 2 -
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