Philadelphia Tenant Repair Rights 2026–27: Getting Repairs Made Through L&I, 311, Rent Withholding and the Fair Housing Commission
Leaking ceiling, no heat in January, a broken back door that will not lock: in Philadelphia, these are not favors you have to beg your landlord for. The City's own housing handbook says it plainly: the City holds the landlord responsible for all repairs required by law, regardless of any agreement or lease between the tenant and landlord. So a lease clause that says "tenant handles repairs" does not override the code.
This guide lays out the tools Philadelphia renters have, in the order most people should use them. It draws on the City's Partners in Good Housing handbook (2025), the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations' Fair Housing Guide, the Fair Housing Commission's rental suitability page, and a repair-issues flyer from Philadelphia Legal Assistance.
What Your Landlord Must Keep in Repair
The Partners in Good Housing handbook, published by the Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I), lists the basics:
The landlord is responsible for all repairs needed to keep the building in good condition.
Foundations, walls, roofs, floors, ceilings, windows, doors, stairs and porches must be safe, weather-tight and rodent-proof.
Interior doors, cabinets, shelves and other supplied equipment must be kept sound and in good repair.
Plumbing and heating equipment must be properly installed, in good working condition, and free of leaks and stoppages.
Heat. The landlord must provide a central heating system or an approved permanent heating system for each unit, adequate to heat the whole unit. In rooming houses and buildings with two or more units, the landlord must supply heat of 68 degrees in each apartment from October 1 through April 30, and during May or September when the outside temperature falls below 60°F. That does not apply if your unit has its own permanent heating equipment under your sole control. Cooking appliances cannot be used for heat.
What landlords do not have to fix. The Commission's guide says landlords must make repairs that affect your ability to safely occupy the property, but are not required to make changes or repairs that only affect appearance.
Before You Signed: Two Documents You Were Owed
When a landlord rents to a new tenant, Philadelphia law requires them to hand over:
A Certificate of Rental Suitability issued by L&I no more than 60 days before the tenancy starts. The Fair Housing Commission says it confirms the landlord has the necessary licenses (including a rental license), the property has no outstanding maintenance issues or fire code violations, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers work, the systems have no health and safety defects, and the landlord will maintain them during the tenancy.
A copy of the Partners in Good Housing handbook.
This applies to new leases, not renewals. It matters for repairs because, according to the Commission's guide, if your landlord does not give you a Certificate and the handbook, they may not collect rent from you or remove you from the property. If you never received them, note that in your records.
Landlords subject to the lead laws must also give you a current certificate that the property is lead safe or lead free before the lease is signed.
Step 1: Put the Request in Writing
Every official source starts here.
Make all repair requests promptly and in writing: mail, email or in person. Keep a copy.
Philadelphia Legal Assistance's flyer suggests sending the letter by both regular and certified mail, return receipt requested.
Take photos, and note any witnesses.
Give the landlord a reasonable amount of time to make the repairs, and name a date.
Let the landlord or contractors in when you get 24 hours' notice. In an emergency, notice is not required.
A simple letter can list each problem, say the conditions breach the landlord's duty to keep the unit safe, sanitary and livable, set a completion date, and say what you intend to do if repairs are not made.
Step 2: Call 311 for an L&I Inspection
If the landlord does not act, the handbook says to report the problems to L&I through 311:
Call 311 inside Philadelphia, or 215-686-8686 from outside the city.
Go in person to City Hall, Room 167.
File online or through the Philly 311 app.
Give your name or address, the property address and the nature of the problem. A case is opened and sent to an inspection unit. Ask for and keep your service number. If an inspector cannot get in, they leave a card; you must call the number on it to set up the inspection. L&I says it does not reveal who complained.
What happens next: if L&I finds a violation, it notifies the responsible party and sets a deadline to fix it. The landlord can contest it before the Board of Licenses and Inspection Review, can be fined, or can be sued by the City if the violation is not corrected. In extreme cases, L&I can make the repair itself, charge the owner, and place a lien on the property, or order the building vacated.
Other inspections that may help (from the Legal Assistance flyer):
Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher holders can ask the Philadelphia Housing Authority for an inspection at 215-684-3860.
For rats or mosquitoes, call Health Department Vector Control at 215-685-9000.
For wiring problems, carbon monoxide leaks or shutoffs, call your utility.
Step 3: Rent Withholding, Carefully
Philadelphia tenants can withhold rent for serious repair problems, but both official guides urge caution. The Commission's guide puts an asterisk on it: consult legal counsel before withholding rent.
How the Commission describes doing it:
If the landlord does not make repairs in a reasonable time, tell the landlord in writing that you will not pay rent until repairs are made.
Set the rent aside instead of spending it.
Be able to prove the money is set aside: an ATM receipt, money order or bank statement.
The Legal Assistance flyer adds two points: only withhold rent if the problems are serious, and you can escrow the rent in a separate bank account or keep it in a money order.
Option | When it fits | What to keep |
Written repair request | Always first | Copy of the letter, mail receipts, photos |
311 / L&I inspection | Landlord ignores the request | Service number, inspection results |
Rent withholding | Serious conditions, after notice, ideally after legal advice | Withholding letter, proof rent is set aside |
Repair and deduct | A specific fix the landlord will not make | Estimates, letter, invoice and receipt |
Fair Housing Commission complaint | Threats, retaliation, eviction after a failed inspection | Lease, rent records, repair letters, photos, notices |
Step 4: Repair and Deduct
The Legal Assistance flyer describes another option: hiring someone to make the repair and deducting the cost from rent. Its steps:
Get an estimate. The cost should not be more than one month's rent.
Send the landlord a repair-and-deduct letter.
If the landlord does not make the repair in a reasonable time, hire the repair person. Keep the invoice and receipt.
Because a landlord may dispute the deduction, talk to a tenant lawyer or hotline first if you can.
Step 5: If the Landlord Retaliates
The Commission's guide says it is illegal for your landlord to end or change your lease in retaliation for:
reporting repairs to the landlord, L&I or another City agency;
withholding rent until repairs are made;
joining or forming a tenant union; or
experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault.
It is also illegal for a landlord to end your lease when L&I or another City department, such as the Health or Water Department, has issued violations the landlord has not resolved. Lockouts, utility shutoffs and boarding up doors or windows are also listed as unfair rental practices.
Filing with the Fair Housing Commission
Phone: 215-686-4670
Email: Fairhousingcomm@phila.gov
Gather: your written lease, proof of rent payments or withheld rent, repair communications, photos of the problems, and any eviction notices.
The Commission says it does not accept every complaint; if it finds enough evidence, it sets a hearing for you and your landlord.
What to Do If Things Go Wrong
L&I could not get in: call the number on the card left by the inspector right away.
L&I found nothing: ask what the inspector checked and send another written request listing anything missed.
Landlord files for eviction: do not ignore court papers. Bring your repair letters, service number, photos and proof that withheld rent is set aside.
You never got a Certificate of Rental Suitability: tell the Fair Housing Commission or your lawyer; it can affect whether the landlord may collect rent.
More Help
Related Guides
Sources
This guide gives general information, not legal advice. Rent withholding carries risk; talk to a tenant lawyer before you stop paying rent.
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