In most of Pennsylvania a landlord can simply decline to renew a lease when it ends. Not in Philadelphia. Under the city’s Good Cause Eviction Ordinance, ending a tenancy of a year or more requires a qualifying reason — stated in writing, served on time, and documented.
Who It Applies To
The Good Cause requirement, found in Philadelphia Code § 9-810, applies to residential tenancies of one year or more. For tenancies under a year, standard Pennsylvania notice rules apply without the good-cause overlay.
The ordinance sits on top of state law. The Pennsylvania Landlord and Tenant Act still governs notice periods, security deposits, and court procedure, but Philadelphia adds its own layer of protection for longer-term tenants.
What Counts as Good Cause
The ordinance recognizes a specific list of qualifying grounds, including:
- Nonpayment of rent
- Material breach of the lease
- Nuisance behavior
- The owner or an immediate family member moving into the unit
- Substantial renovation or remodeling of the property
- Refusal to allow the landlord reasonable access
What is not on the list matters just as much. A landlord generally cannot qualify a tenancy simply because the lease term is up, without one of the recognized grounds.
Notice and Documentation Matter
The termination notice must identify the qualifying reason and be served within the required notice window. For non-renewals, tenants are generally entitled to substantial advance written notice.
A landlord should preserve the records supporting the decision — lease notices, payment history, repair records, access requests, and communications. If the case reaches court, the good-cause grounds and proof of proper notice are part of the evidence the court expects to see.
How It Connects to the Rest of the System
Good Cause does not operate alone. Before filing an eviction, a Philadelphia landlord also needs an active rental license, a current Certificate of Rental Suitability, safety paperwork for pre-1978 properties, and completed participation in the city’s mandatory Eviction Diversion Program.
A defective good-cause notice — or a missing license — can stall or defeat a case entirely. For property owners, the compliance checklist and the termination notice are now part of the same workflow.
A Moving Target
Philadelphia’s tenant-protection rules are among the most actively evolving in the country. City Council has continued to discuss expansions of good-cause and licensing requirements, and recent changes are the subject of pending federal litigation brought by landlord groups.
For property owners, that means today’s compliance checklist may not be tomorrow’s, and cutting corners on documentation is riskier than ever.
The Bottom Line
For landlords, the practical rule is simple: never serve a termination or non-renewal notice on a year-plus tenancy without identifying which good-cause ground applies and building the paper trail to prove it.
For tenants, the ordinance means a lease ending is not, by itself, a reason to leave — and any termination notice should state exactly why.
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Philadelphia’s ordinances are actively changing and litigated; consult a licensed Pennsylvania attorney about any specific tenancy.
