Proposal Requires Landlords In Philadelphia Give 3 Months Notice Of Rent Increase
By Mike Dunn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A city councilman today will propose that all landlords give their tenants at least 90 days notice of a rent increase.
Councilman-at-large Bill Greenlee says last year's citywide property reassessment boosted taxes for many landlords, and he has heard that some simply passed the higher taxes on to tenants in the form of a rent increase:
"As is normal the landlord would pass the increase on to the tenant. And often times they would only have thirty days (notice). And that's a very short time to figure out first, 'do I have the finances to stay?' or 'can I find another place?'"
So Greenlee today is proposing that the city code be changed to require three months notice of any rent increase:
"We think 90 days is a fair amount of time to give the tenant to either relocate or work up the finances to stay."
Greenlee is including a new protection for landlords in the proposal: the renter has to give 60 days notice if they do not intend to renew the lease:
"So the landlord has two months to figure out whether they have to get another tenant or not."
Greenlee's proposal will be debated in committee. His proposal comes three years after he successfully pushed legislation that gave stronger tenant rights to renters who are victims of domestic abuse.
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