The case of Johnson v. Pocono Twp. Zoning Hearing Bd. & Pocono Twp., 1048 C.D. 2021 (Pa. Commw. Ct. Feb 07, 2024) addressed several key legal principles related to Pennsylvania short–term rental (colloquy “Airbnb”) zoning ordinances and property rights. This Pennsylvania Common Pleas Appeals Court case did two important things: First, it weighed in on an important question by deciding that a township’s zoning ordinance prohibiting...
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A building permit is like a permission slip from the local government that gives you or your contractor the green light to start a construction or remodeling project on your property. It's a way of ensuring that the work follows the rules and regulations in your area. Securing the right permits for your home renovation can be a breeze when you know what to do. Skipping...
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We previously wrote about changes to Philadelphia's zoning laws which now mandate holding either a Visitor Accommodation (VA) permit or a Limited Lodging License for short-term rental (STR) properties, which you can read about here. While the VA permit is less restrictive than the limited lodging license, obtaining approval for a VA permit can be challenging due to specific zoning district requirements. However, a recent...
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Happy New Year! Along with our collective resolutions have come the imposition of new regulations from the City of Philadelphia. On January 1st, 2023, Philadelphia rolled out a new set of regulations for Airbnb and short-term rental properties. While these should not come as a surprise to anyone since the City has been delaying the start of these for some time now, Airbnb has now...
Read MoreBy January 1, 2023, Airbnb and all other short term rental sites will require all Philadelphia hosts to comply with new legislation or their listings will be removed from the platforms. This “crack-down” was set to start in July of 2022, but has since been postponed. An average rental license will no longer be enough to support a listing on a short-term hosting platform. Short-term...
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One topic I get at least one call about per week is the accessory dwelling unit. While it’s a cool idea and awesome when it works, it’s a rare circumstance when it does, and they are not the backdoor to getting that duplex that you’ve been desperately searching for. Accessory Dwelling Units, or “ADU”s in zoning nerd speak, historically called granny flats or backyard cottages, are...
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Zoning Board of Adjustment: What Happens After Your Hearing Philadelphia Zoning specializes in Zoning Variance coordination. Whether it is a regulated use registration for a new business or a height bonus for a home addition, in order to get approval from the City to execute a development plan which is not expressly allowed by the Zoning Code, you must obtain letter granting you special approval from...
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Philadelphia Zoning was founded in large part to help new business owners obtain the proper zoning to operate their business. One of the most common types of projects we have worked on throughout the years has been Zoning Variance for Body Art and Tattoo Use. Because this is a controlled use, obtaining a permit always requires special approval by the Zoning Board of Adjustment. In addition to obtaining...
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Congratulations! If you are wondering what your next steps should be when getting prepared for a Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) hearing, then congratulations! You are almost finished with the zoning permit process. But before you start popping champagne, you have to get ZBA (Zoning Board of Adjustment) approval first. A disclaimer: Just because you follow all of the criteria leading up to and including the...
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Zoning in Philadelphia is a strange enterprise. The ideas behind it are simple, and the people working the desks downtown are generally helpful and clear. But in practice, it can be quite confusing. This little overview probably won’t make the strange details of zoning any less confusing, but it may give you a clearer picture of the overall structure of zoning complaints, requests, and applications...
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