Philadelphia Termination Letter for Good Cause

Philadelphia Lease Termination Requirements

Philadelphia has the following requirements for terminating Lease Agreements:

• For Lease Agreements less than one year - for example, a Month-to-Month Rental Contract - the Landlord must give 30 days’ notice and provide a Good Cause reason to end the Lease.
• For Residential Lease Agreements of one year or more, the Landlord must give at least 10 days’ notice to terminate the Lease. The Landlord is not required to state a Good Cause reason for terminating the Lease Agreement.

“Good Cause” Reasons for Terminating a Philadelphia Lease

Under Philadelphia Lease laws, the following reasons are considered “Good Cause” for terminating a Lease Agreement:

• Habitual non-payment or habitual late payment of rent.
• Breach or non-compliance with a material term of the Lease Agreement.
• Engagement in nuisance activity that creates a substantial interference with the use, comfort, or enjoyment of the property by the Landlord or other Tenants in the building or that substantially affects the health or safety of the Landlord or other Tenants in the building.
• The Tenant has caused substantial deterioration to the property beyond normal wear and tear.
• The Tenant, after written notice to cease, refuses the Landlord access to the unit for lawful purposes such as making repairs, assessing the need for repairs, inspecting the premises for damage, showing the premises to insurance or mortgage companies, or during an emergency.
• The Tenant refuses to execute an extension of a written Lease Agreement, that is set to expire, for materially the same terms.
• The owner of the property or a member of the owner’s immediate family is going to move into the property.
• The Tenant refuses to agree to a proposed rent increase or other proposed changes to a Lease (for example, a new no-pets policy, the elimination of parking, or charging more for utilities), but only if the following conditions have been met:
  • The Landlord has provided the Tenant with the option to accept the proposed rent increase or other proposed changes to the Lease Agreement and has complied with all applicable Notice requirements.
  • The Tenant must accept the option, in writing, no later than fifteen (15) days prior to the expiration of the current Lease or else the Tenant will be deemed to have declined the option.
  • The Landlord intends and reasonably expects to apply the proposed rent increase or proposed change to the next Tenant in the event the current Tenant rejects the proposed terms.
• The Landlord will not be renting out the premises during upcoming renovations, but only if the following conditions have been met:
  • The Landlord provides notice of non-renewal of the Lease Agreement at least 60 days prior to the date the premises must be vacated.
  • The owner returns to the Tenant any outstanding security deposit as promptly as possible before the move-out date and no later than provided for by Section 512 of The Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, 68 P.S. § 250.512.
  • The owner provides the Tenant the option to renew the Lease Agreement at the market rental value when the property becomes available again for rent, other than for rent to an immediate family member.

Our Philadelphia Termination Letter for Good Cause lets Landlords pick the Good Cause reason for termination and ensures that Tenants receive proper Notice of the Lease Termination.

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Philadelphia Rental Forms & Templates

• Rental Application: Our Free Rental Application makes it EZ for Landlords to gather important information about an Applicant and get the disclosures necessary for complete Tenant Screening.
• Pennsylvania Lease Agreement: Customize your Pennsylvania Lease Agreement entirely online in minutes. Guaranteed to comply with all PA Lease laws.
• Philadelphia Bed Bug Addendum: Philadelphia Landlords are required to disclose any bed bug infestations or remediations in the last 120 days and provide Tenants with a Bed Bug Informational Notice.
• Philadelphia Gas Works Landlord Cooperation Instructions: This free resource explains the Philadelphia Gas Works Landlord Cooperation Program.
• City of Philadelphia Partners for Good Housing: Philadelphia Landlords must provide all new Tenants with a copy of this handbook.

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