Philadelphia property owners must go through L&I before signing new tenants

And agreement among Philadelphia’s Department of Licenses & Inspections, the Homeowners Association of Philadelphia and Tenant Union Representative Network now requires property owners to get certified by the city before changing tenants, the city announced today.

Property owners will need the certificate of rental suitability to ensure:

the owner has a current annual Housing Inspection license
the property is fit for human habitation
fire/smoke detection equipment for the premises is in proper operating condition
the property will be maintained during the term of the lease in a condition fit for human habitation, and that fire/smoke detection equipment will be maintained as otherwise required by existing law

Any open violations not actively under appeal will result in a certification delay, and thus, a delay in occupancy. Property owners have 30 days from the issue date to appeal a violation. The free certificate can be found and filled out here.