PRINTER'S NO. 1808

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

1549

Session of

2023

INTRODUCED BY MADSEN, SMITH-WADE-EL, MADDEN, HILL-EVANS, WAXMAN,

McNEILL, KAZEEM, PIELLI, ABNEY, KINSEY, BURGOS, SANCHEZ,

SCOTT, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, KIM, INNAMORATO, DELLOSO, HOWARD,

landlord and tenant and of parties dealing with them and

amending, revising, changing and consolidating the law

relating thereto," in tenement buildings and multiple

dwelling premises, further providing for landlord's duties;

and providing for tenant relocation payments.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Section 502-A of the act of April 6, 1951

(P.L.69, No.20), known as The Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951,

is amended to read:

individual tenant, but also to his family, servants and

employees, business visitors, social guests, and the like. Those

who enter in the right of the tenant, even though under his mere

license, make a permissible use of the premises for which the

common ways and facilities are provided.

(2) It is the duty of the landlord to provide a tenant a

safe, clean and habitable dwelling.

Section 2. The act is amended by adding an article to read:

"Permanently displaced tenant." A tenant that is required to

vacate rental housing for 30 days or more because the rental

housing is condemned as unfit for human habitation by a

municipality or determined to be uninhabitable by another

governmental entity with oversight of the property through no

fault of the tenant.

"Temporarily displaced tenant." A tenant that is required to

vacate rental housing for less than 30 days because the rental

housing is condemned as unfit for human habitation by a

municipality or determined to be uninhabitable by another

provide the following:

(1) Alternative, safe and legal comparable housing for

the temporarily displaced tenant and the temporarily

displaced tenant's belongings for the full temporary

displacement period. A temporary displacement period shall

not exceed 30 days.

(2) A relocation payment equal to one month's fair

market value rent for a unit of comparable size as

established by the most recent United States Department of

payment for the costs to move the temporarily displaced

tenant and the temporarily displaced tenant's belongings back

to the tenant's original rental housing.

(5) If a temporarily displaced tenant returns to the

tenant's original housing, all lease provisions, including

provisions regarding the length of the lease term and the

amount of rent due at the time of the displacement shall

remain in place for the remainder of the lease in effect at

the time of the tenant's displacement.

Section 503-C. Permanent displacement.

(1) The permanently displaced tenant's security deposit

with interest. If interest is not stated in a lease, the

interest rate shall be 5%.

(2) Any pro rata rent for the remainder of the month.

(3) Either six months' fair market value rent for a unit

of comparable size, as established by the most recent United

States Department of Housing and Urban Development schedule

for fair market rents for the zip code of the rental housing

being vacated or six months of the permanently displaced

benefit to the displaced tenant and is evidenced by a signed

written agreement between the displaced tenant and the landlord.

The written agreement detailing the alternative arrangement must

contain:

(1) The names of current occupants of the condemned

rental housing.

(2) The address of the condemned rental housing.

(3) A statement indicating the amount of the relocation

payment to which the tenant is entitled under section 502-C

or 503-C.

Section 505-C. Proof of compliance.

Within five days after a tenant vacates the rental housing, a

landlord shall provide the local housing authority or

municipality with a copy of the check or money order provided to

the displaced tenant and a receipt signed by the displaced

tenant. If an alternative arrangement is agreed upon between the

displaced tenant and the landlord, the landlord shall provide

the local housing authority or municipality with a copy of the

signed written agreement.

tenant with written notice of the tenant's first right to

reoccupy.

(2) The notice provided by the landlord shall include

the landlord's current address and telephone number which the

permanently displaced tenant can use to contact the landlord.

(3) It is the responsibility of the permanently

displaced tenant to provide the landlord with the permanently

displaced tenant's current address and telephone number to be

used for future notification.

(4) When the rental unit becomes habitable, the landlord

the second attempt must occur 30 days after the first

attempt, the landlord is deemed to be in compliance with the

provisions of this section and the tenant's first right to

reoccupy is forfeited.

(6) A permanently displaced tenant shall notify a

landlord of the tenant's intent to reoccupy the rental

housing no later than 15 days after the second attempt to

notify the tenant that the rental housing is ready to be

occupied.

from the rental housing.

Section 507-C. Exception.

A landlord shall not be required to provide a relocation

payment or first right to reoccupy if it is deemed by the

municipality that the rental housing is condemned due to events

that are beyond the control of the landlord. This section shall

not be applicable if the condemnation was a result of lack of

maintenance, neglect or other preventable action that could have

been taken by the landlord.

Section 508-C. Applicability.

Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.