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You need a Rental License to rent out dwelling, rooming, or sleeping units to tenants. This can include residential dwellings and units, rooms in a home, dormitories, and certain visitor accommodations.
One license can cover all units in a single building. If there are multiple buildings on your property, you must get a Rental License for each building. Rental Licenses are not transferrable. If you are the new owner of a previously licensed property, you must close the old Rental License and apply for a new one.
A Rental License is a type of business license. All businesses that operate in the city need to:
Landlords in Philadelphia need to follow certain requirements in addition to obtaining a Rental License.
You can rent your home or a room in it for fewer than 30 days at a time. To do so, you need to meet certain requirements and limitations.
Property owners and their agents can apply for the licenses and permits required to rent a property short term.
In Philadelphia, the Department of Licenses & Inspections (L&I) charges a fee for issuing each business license, including rental licenses. As of now, the cost for a regular rental license is $63 per unit. Please note that this fee can change; for example, it increased from $54 in 2022 to the current rate.
If you choose to use an expediting service like ours to streamline the process and manage your license application, there will be additional service fees on top of the city’s fees.
City fee for other popular Philadelphia Licenses:
– Limited Lodging Operator License (for short-term rentals): $150
– Food Preparation License: $275 to $415, depending on the size of the restaurant
When renting out a multi-unit property in Philadelphia, you only need one rental license per address, regardless of the number of units. Whether you own a duplex, triplex, or an apartment complex with hundreds of units, a single license will cover the entire property. However, the city charges a fee of $63 per unit. So, for every unit under a single address, you’ll incur a $63 fee. For instance, a property with 10 rental units would result in a total city fee of $630.
If you let your rental license expire, you have 30 days to renew it without penalty. After that, a late fee of 1.5% of the license fee will be added for each month the license is late.
You can easily find your rental license, or check if your landlord has one, by using the city’s Atlas website. Just enter the property address and select the “License & Inspection” tab. All current and past rental licenses will be listed there, along with their status (active, inactive, or expired).
It’s a good idea to keep a copy of your original rental license once you receive it. You’ll need to provide it to your tenants along with other required documents. This is especially important if you ever need to evict a tenant. Not having a copy of your rental license on hand could cause unnecessary problems in the future.
If you need assistance obtaining or renewing a rental license, we’re here to help! Reach out to us at info@consolelegal.com or use the help request form below. We’re ready to take care of the process for you and ensure everything is handled smoothly.
Our team of licensed professionals can guide you through your project.
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