PASSED

This enacted ordinance requires owners of rental properties to provide tenants, before a tenancy begins, with a Certificate of Rental Suitability issued within the previous 60 days, along with specified property information and the Partners for Good Housing Handbook. The certificate depends on required licenses, no outstanding code violations, and the owner’s attestation that the property’s safety systems and conditions meet code requirements. It also allows tenants to sue an owner to compel compliance and bars owners who are not complying with licensing requirements from collecting rent or recovering possession during the noncompliance period.

Amending Subcode "PM" (The Philadelphia Property Maintenance Code) of Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code (The Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code) by providing for a Certificate of Rental Suitability to be provided by the owner of any rental property prior to the inception of any tenancy, and providing for a private right of action by tenants to compel compliance with the Code, all under certain terms and conditions.