WHEREAS, The Office of Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke has partnered with the Office of Homeless Services and the Division of Housing and Community Development to add a new resource, the Philadelphia Fair Lease, to its online Landlord Gateway. The Philadelphia Fair Lease, developed by University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School Professor David Hoffman, provides model lease language that is short, free, legal, and fair for landlords and tenants alike; and
WHEREAS, In 2023, the City launched the Philadelphia Landlord Gateway to centralize information for property owners seeking to rent their properties, including guidance on obtaining a valid rental license, addressing repair issues in the property, and providing affordable housing; and
WHEREAS, Unnecessarily long and complicated leases make it hard for tenants, and even landlords, to know the exact impact of the lease terms before signing. Tenants searching for housing are rarely able to scrutinize and negotiate leases; and
WHEREAS, In the largest ever study of residential leases, Professor Hoffman’s research showed that over the last twenty years, the number of rental leases in Philadelphia that include illegal and unenforceable provisions has increased significantly. Oppressive terms, such as requirements that tenants pay landlords’ attorney’s fees in eviction proceedings, have also become increasingly common in Philadelphia leases during this time period; and
WHEREAS Based on these findings, Professor Hoffman and his students worked to create a model lease for use by Philadelphia residents; and
WHEREAS, Well-intentioned landlords want to use fair leases, but often rely on forms found online that are not thoroughly vetted for their lawfulness and accessibility; and
WHEREAS, With the addition of the Philadelphia Fair Lease to the Landlord Gateway, the City now offers a lawful, reliable, and free option for landlords and tenants alike to start the rental process and promote fair lease agreements across Philadelphia; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, that we hereby celebrate the launch of the Philadelphia Fair Lease on the City of Philadelphia’s Landlord Gateway.
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