Philadelphia / Evidence guide

The records every Philadelphia renter should keep

By Homzora Team · September 22, 2026

Many of Philadelphia's tenant protections depend on documents: a rental license, a Certificate of Rental Suitability, a lead certificate, a written notice with a stated reason. When a dispute arises, the tenant who can show those documents, along with dated photographs and payment records, is in a far stronger position.

Why documents carry so much weight here

In Philadelphia, some defenses to an eviction or a rent claim depend on whether the landlord followed city requirements. According to the checklist used by Philadelphia's volunteer lawyers, rent may not be collected, and eviction may not be sought, for periods when a landlord lacked a valid rental license, or before the landlord provided an unexpired Certificate of Rental Suitability and the Partners for Good Housing handbook.^[1] Similar consequences can follow when a landlord fails to provide a required lead certification for a home with a young child.^[1] Your records are how you, or your lawyer, show what you received and when.

The folder to keep for the entire tenancy

Keep these documents together, in paper form and backed up digitally, for the whole lease and at least a year after you move out.

The signed lease, every addendum and every renewal.
The Certificate of Rental Suitability and the Partners for Good Housing handbook, with the date you received them.
The lead safe or lead free certificate and the federal lead disclosure form for any home built before 1978.^[2]
A screenshot or printout of the property's rental license status from Atlas, with the date you checked.
Written notice of where your security deposit is held.^[3]
Every rent payment record, receipt and bank statement.
Every repair request, response and 311 service request number.
Any notice from the landlord, including notices of rent increases, nonrenewal or termination.

Record the condition at move in

Before your belongings arrive, photograph and film each room systematically: walls, ceilings, floors, windows, radiators, doors, cabinets, appliances inside and out, the bathroom, the basement and any yard or porch. Take close ups of existing damage with a wider shot showing its location. Pay attention to chipping paint, water stains and floor damage, which are common in older homes and commonly disputed at move out.

Write a short list of existing defects in specific language, such as "cracked tile in front of the bathtub" or "water stain about a foot wide on the back bedroom ceiling," and email it to the landlord with your photographs. Keep the original photo files, which carry the date and time, rather than only edited copies.

Keep a repair and heat log

For every problem, record when it started, when and how you reported it, what the landlord said and when it was fixed. During heat season, a simple heat log can be especially useful. If the heat fails or seems inadequate, record the date, time and indoor temperature in several rooms, ideally with a thermometer photographed next to a clock or phone showing the time. Philadelphia's standard is at least 68 degrees from October 1 through April 30 for two family homes, multifamily buildings and rooming houses.^[4]

If you contact Philly311, record the service request number and any inspection result from the Department of Licenses and Inspections. An official violation notice is strong evidence of a condition, and Philadelphia law protects tenants from retaliation for reporting violations.^[5]

Photograph the paperwork too

Photographs are not only for the condition of the home. Take a clear picture of every notice posted on your door before you remove it, including the date you found it. Photograph the rental license posting if one is displayed in the building, and the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors after you test them. These small steps take seconds and can settle a later disagreement about what was delivered, displayed or working on a particular date.

Pay in a way you can prove

Pay by check, bank transfer or the landlord's online portal, and keep confirmations showing the date and amount. If you pay by money order, keep the receipt stub and a photograph of the completed money order. If you ever withhold rent because of serious conditions, after getting legal advice, keep that money set aside and document why, because a judge may require you to show that you can pay it.

Do not assume your security deposit can cover your last month's rent. Under Pennsylvania law it cannot be used that way without the landlord's agreement.^[3]

Protect your security deposit at move out

Give any notice your lease requires in writing and keep proof of delivery. Clean thoroughly, then repeat the full photograph and video record of each room after your belongings are gone. Return every key and get a written receipt or a confirming email. Give the landlord your forwarding address in writing.

Under Pennsylvania's Landlord and Tenant Act, the landlord must return the deposit, or provide a written list of damages with the balance, within 30 days after the lease ends or you move out, whichever comes first.^[3][6] Reasonable wear and tear is not damage.^[6][3] If the landlord does not provide the written list within 30 days, it loses the right to withhold any part of the deposit and cannot sue you for damages to the property.^[3][6] If the landlord wrongfully withholds money, you can sue for double the amount withheld, but only if you gave the landlord your new address in writing when you moved out.^[6][3] Send a written demand letter first. If that fails, you can file in the small claims section of Philadelphia Municipal Court, which hears claims under $12,000.^[7]

Notices and court papers

Keep every notice you receive from the landlord, including the envelope and a note of how and when it was delivered. For leases of less than one year, Philadelphia's good cause rules require at least 30 days' written notice that states a qualifying reason before a landlord ends or declines to renew the lease.^[8] If you want to challenge the notice, you have 15 business days from receiving it to file a complaint with the Fair Housing Commission, and you should notify the landlord.^[8]

If you receive court papers, read them the day they arrive and note the hearing date. Contact Community Legal Services, Philadelphia Legal Assistance or the Philly Tenant Hotline immediately. If you live in one of the ZIP codes covered by the city's Right to Counsel program and meet the income limit, you may qualify for a free lawyer.^[9]

Document a lockout or utility shutoff immediately

Philadelphia prohibits landlords from changing the locks, removing doors or windows, or shutting off utilities to make a tenant leave.^[5] If it happens to you, document it at once. Photograph the changed lock, the missing door or the utility meter, and save any messages from the landlord. Call the police. The city's Fair Housing Commission explains that police will restore a tenant to the home if the tenant shows proof of residency, such as a lease, mail or identification with the address, and the landlord cannot show legal authority for the lockout.^[5] Keep copies of those proof of residency documents somewhere you can reach without entering the home, such as cloud storage or your phone.

When the property is sold or management changes

If the building is sold or a new management company takes over, your lease generally continues, and so do your rights. Before the old portal or contact disappears, save copies of your payment history, your deposit information and any open repair requests. Send the new owner or manager a short written summary of your deposit amount, where it is held and any unresolved repairs, and ask them to confirm it. Under Pennsylvania law, a person who buys the property takes on the same duties as the previous owner, which generally includes responsibility for the security deposit.^[6]

Keep digital records easy to trust

Name files by date and subject so they sort in order, such as "2026 11 04 no heat report." Save important emails and text messages as files rather than leaving them only in an inbox or on one phone. Take screenshots of portal requests and their status, because portal histories can disappear when a management company changes software or closes your account at move out. Back everything up in at least two places.

At a hearing

Bring your lease, the Certificate of Rental Suitability, any lead certificate, your payment records, your repair log, 311 records and photographs, arranged in date order with a one page timeline. Bring copies for the judge and the other side. Keep your explanation short and factual. If the landlord's paperwork is incomplete, such as a missing rental license or certificate, point it out clearly or ask your lawyer to raise it.

Rent evidence: compare like with like

Records also help when you judge whether a rent is reasonable. An asking rent on a listing is not the same as a signed lease payment, and neither is the same as a government estimate. The Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 estimate of median gross rent in Philadelphia is $1,397.^[10] It includes estimated utilities, covers every type of rental and blends five years of responses, so it will differ from today's asking rent for a renovated apartment in Fishtown. When you compare figures, note the source, geography, period, whether utilities are included and whether the figure covers a room or a whole unit. The Philadelphia data page and methodology explain each figure Homzora publishes.

Your completion record

Lease and renewals saved
Certificate of Rental Suitability and handbook
Lead certificate and disclosure
Rental license status checked
Move in photographs and defect list
Repair and heat log
Payment history
Move out photographs, key receipt and forwarding address

Keep these records for at least a year after you move out. Use the planning tools to organize your figures, and see the jurisdiction guide for where to get help.

Sources and official resources

Use the planning tools · All Philadelphia guides