Pittsburgh Eviction Court Steps 2026–27: The 10-Day Notice, Your Magisterial District Hearing, the 10-Day Appeal and "Pay and Stay"
Updated: 8 hours ago
In Pittsburgh and the rest of Allegheny County, eviction cases don't start in a big downtown courtroom. They start in a neighborhood Magisterial District Court, in front of a locally elected judge, and they move fast: a hearing can be set as soon as a week after the landlord files. Knowing the deadlines ahead of time is the difference between having options and running out of them.
Here's how a Pennsylvania eviction moves through Allegheny County, what to bring to your hearing, how an appeal works, and where to find a free lawyer.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Found something out of date? Our Editorial Standards explain how to report it.
Some fee figures in the county guide date from 2020 and may have changed.
Pittsburgh eviction basics in brief
Your landlord needs a court order to evict you. The case is a Landlord/Tenant Complaint filed with a Magisterial District Judge (MDJ).
Notice first: usually 10 days for unpaid rent; 15 days (lease of a year or less) or 30 days (lease over a year) for an expired lease or a lease violation, unless your lease waives notice.
Hearing: set 7 to 15 days after filing. You must be served at least 5 days before.
Lose? You have 10 days to appeal to the Court of Common Pleas and stay in your home. File in person at 414 Grant St.
Order for Possession: if you don't appeal, the landlord can ask for it after 10 days. Then you get 10 more days before a constable can remove you.
Pay and Stay: in a case only about unpaid rent, you can pay what the order says up to the moment of the lockout and keep your home.
Free legal help: Neighborhood Legal Services intake 412-355-0168.
Step 1: The Notice to Quit
Before filing, a Pennsylvania landlord generally has to give you written notice "in accordance with the law," unless your lease says no notice is required. Allegheny County DHS's guide summarizes the time periods under the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951:
Unpaid rent: 10 days to pay or move before the landlord can file.
Lease ended or lease broken: 15 days for leases of one year or less; 30 days for leases longer than a year.
Read your lease. Many Pennsylvania leases include a clause waiving the notice, which lets the landlord file right away. That doesn't take away your right to a hearing.
What to do now: Talk to the landlord in writing. Save texts and emails. Gather rent receipts, money order stubs, bank records and photos of any repair problems. Call 211 about rent help.
Step 2: The Landlord/Tenant Complaint and Service
If you haven't paid or moved, the landlord files a Landlord/Tenant Complaint at the Magisterial District Court that covers your address. The county guide covers cases for claims of $12,000 or less. Larger claims go straight to the Court of Common Pleas.
According to the county guide:
The hearing must be set between 7 and 15 days after the complaint is filed.
The complaint must reach you at least 5 days before the hearing.
Service is by mail, plus either in-person delivery or posting on your door by a constable or sheriff's deputy.
The county guide listed 2020 filing costs of $82 for claims of $2,000 or less, $100.50 up to $4,000, and $137 up to $12,000, plus constable fees. The landlord pays these up front, but if the landlord wins, you usually end up owing the court costs on top of the rent.
Step 3: Get Ready for the Hearing
You do not have to file a written answer to a Landlord/Tenant Complaint, but you should go to the hearing. Northwestern Legal Services' guide says to go even if you don't think you have a defense, because the landlord could ask for more money than the complaint lists.
Common defenses listed in that guide:
The landlord didn't give proper notice.
Rent should be reduced or waived because of serious defects (the warranty of habitability).
The past-due rent was calculated wrong.
Counterclaim (cross-complaint). If the landlord owes you money, for example for essential repairs you paid for, you can file a cross-complaint at the MDJ's office before the hearing. The county guide says there's no filing fee for this, though you may pay other small court fees. Filing one resets the hearing to a date 7 to 15 days out so both claims are heard together.
Bring to court:
The complaint and hearing notice
Your lease and any notice to quit
Receipts, canceled checks, bank statements
Photos, repair requests, inspection reports
Witnesses. The MDJ can issue subpoenas to make a witness come, including a city inspector. Request them early.
The guide warns that the judge won't let you go home to get documents you forgot, and generally won't accept written statements from people who don't show up if the other side objects.
Step 4: The Hearing and the Judgment
The landlord testifies first, then you get to ask questions and tell your side. Everything is under oath.
One local detail from the county DHS guide: the landlord still has to appear and prove the case even if you don't show up. If the landlord doesn't come, the judge can dismiss the case or continue it.
The judge must decide at the hearing or within 3 days. The written judgment lists separate amounts for rent due, damages, court costs, anything awarded to you on a counterclaim, and your monthly rent. That last number matters if you appeal.
If the case is only about rent, the judgment may say "Grant possession if money judgment is not satisfied by the time of eviction." That means you can keep your home by paying the judgment and costs in time.
Step 5: Appeal Within 10 Days
If you lose and want to stay in your home while you appeal, you must file a Notice of Appeal with the Court of Common Pleas within 10 days of the judgment date (the "disposition date" on the decision). If you're only appealing the money part, you have 30 days.
In Allegheny County, file in person at the Department of Court Records, Civil/Family Division, 1st floor, City-County Building, 414 Grant St., Pittsburgh, PA 15219, where there's a Housing Court Help Desk.
Fees and bond (supersedeas). There's a filing fee, but you can ask to waive it with an in forma pauperis (IFP) petition. To stop the eviction during the appeal, you generally must deposit a bond. Northwestern Legal Services explains that it's the lesser of the rent on the judgment or three months' rent, but tenants with very low income may be able to start by paying one-third of monthly rent. The court's Landlord-Tenant FAQ says that in that case the remaining two-thirds is due in 20 days, and you must keep paying each month's rent into court while the appeal is pending.
Payment tips from the court FAQ:
Pay by cash, money order, business check or card (cards carry a 4% fee). No personal checks.
Make checks or money orders payable to "Department of Court Records," and write your LT docket number on them, or the payment can be misapplied.
If mailing, send at least 4 days early, certified if possible.
Missing an appeal payment lets the landlord get a "Certificate of No Rent" or terminate the stay and go back for an Order for Possession.
You must also serve the appeal on the landlord and the MDJ, then file a notarized proof of service within 10 days of filing. After that, the landlord files a new complaint, and the case goes to a panel of three arbitrators or to mediation.
Missed the 10 days? The court FAQ says you'd need to file a motion for permission to appeal late. Don't count on it.
Step 6: The Order for Possession and the Constable
If you don't appeal, the landlord can request an Order for Possession after the 10-day appeal period and within 120 days of the judgment. The county guide explains what happens next:
The constable or sheriff must serve it within 48 hours, in person or by posting.
It gives you 10 days to leave.
Starting on the 11th day, the officer can carry out the lockout, but only after the landlord calls to request it. The order expires after 60 days if unused (it can be reissued once).
Pay and Stay. In a case based only on unpaid rent, the county guide says you can pay the amount listed on the order up to the moment of the physical eviction and stay. The constable must accept payment and give you a signed receipt.
Free Legal Help in Pittsburgh
Neighborhood Legal Services (NLS): intake line 412-355-0168. NLS handles landlord-tenant defense, wrongful eviction, subsidized housing denials and utility or security deposit problems.
Lawyer of the Day: launched in October 2022, it provides in-person lawyers and resource navigation in five of Pittsburgh's twelve Magisterial District Courts, through NLS, Ebony Law, Community Justice Project and RentHelpPGH. Its published results (as of late 2023) showed a 53% positive-outcome rate in those courts, compared with 10–14% historically. If your hearing is in one of those courts, look for the lawyer at the courthouse.
RentHelpPGH: contacts tenants with eviction filings in Lawyer of the Day courts and helps apply for rental assistance. For Spanish, RentHelpPGH lists Pittsburgh Hispanic Development Corporation at 412-343-0545.
Allegheny County Bar Lawyer Referral Service: 412-261-5555.
United Way 211: dial 211 for rent and utility help referrals.
We couldn't confirm a citywide right to counsel in Pittsburgh. Ask NLS whether your court is covered.
Quick Checklist
[ ] Read your notice and your lease (look for a notice waiver)
[ ] Call NLS (412-355-0168) and 211 right away
[ ] Gather receipts, photos, texts and repair records
[ ] Request subpoenas early if you need witnesses
[ ] Go to the hearing, even if you think you'll lose
[ ] If you lose, appeal at 414 Grant St. within 10 days
[ ] Keep paying rent into court during an appeal
[ ] In a rent-only case, remember Pay and Stay
Related Guides
More help in Pittsburgh
Every guide we have for Pittsburgh is listed on our Pittsburgh financial help hub. Related guides for the same area:
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