Pennsylvania Landlord Repair Duties & Habitability Rights (2026)

What a landlord must fix, and your options when they do not

At a glance

Who this covers — and who it does not

This page covers the landlord's duty to maintain a habitable home in Pennsylvania, and what you can do when repairs go unmade.

It does not cover commercial leases, or conditions you caused yourself (which are treated differently).

The landlord's duty

宾州的适居性义务源于普通法而非成文法:Pugh v. Holmes, 486 Pa. 272, 405 A.2d 897 (1979) 废止 caveat emptor,确立住宅租赁的默示适居性保证。

该保证与租客的付租义务相互依存,**任何租约条款都不能排除它**。宾州 Landlord and Tenant Act 中唯一的房东义务条款是 § 250.502-A,仅规定多户住宅楼梯、通道、道路等**公共区域**的合理注意义务 —— 不是全屋适居性义务。2023–2026 年有议案(HB 1549、HB 734)试图加入「房东须提供可居住住所」,均未通过。

Pugh v. Holmes, 486 Pa. 272, 405 A.2d 897 (Pa. 1979); 68 P.S. § 250.502-A ↗

Notice and time to cure

宾州无固定 30 天成文修复期 —— 义务是「书面通知 + 合理的修补机会」。

要求来自 Pugh v. Holmes,并由宾州州总检察长官方指南复述。租客须通知房东并给予合理机会纠正;房东未纠正时租客可行使救济。「合理」随缺陷严重程度变化。⚠️ 广泛流传的「30 天」与「1 个月租金扣减上限」在法律援助网站常见,但本次核验无法追溯到任何法条或已核验判例文本 —— 须标注为未核验。

Pugh v. Holmes (common law); PA AG Consumer Guide to Tenant and Landlord Rights, Part IV.C (v1.1, June 13, 2022) ↗

Your remedies when repairs go unmade

Rent escrow(City Rent Withholding Act):仅在地方机构认证房屋 unfit for human habitation 后可用。

认证后,租金缴入经批准的银行或信托托管账户而非交给房东。6 个月后仍未认证为适合居住的,托管款项可返还存缴人 —— 但可用于使房屋达到居住标准及支付房东拒绝支付的公用事业费。⚠️ 重要限制:仅适用于 first/second/second-A/third class 城市及其所属县(Philadelphia、Pittsburgh、Scranton 等),township 与 borough 存在覆盖空白 —— 这是宾州与其他州最大的实务差异之一。

City Rent Withholding Act, Act of Jan. 24, 1966, 1965 P.L. 1534, No. 536 (Cl. 11), § 1, as amended June 11, 1968, P.L.159, No.89; referenced in 68 P.S. § 250.206 ↗

Repair and deduct:州总检察长指南列为法定选项之一,但宾州无成文法、亦无可核验的 1 个月上限。

⚠️ 单方面扣留租金而不遵循正当程序,可能以欠租被驱逐。州总检察长明确警告「improperly invoking a remedy could lead to eviction」。宾州不存在 repair-and-deduct 成文法,故不存在法定的扣减上限。

Common law per Pugh v. Holmes; PA AG Guide Part IV.C ↗

Constructive eviction:须在实际搬离后才成立。

房东采取妨碍使用与占有的不当行为时,租客须通知并给予合理纠正机会;合理时间后房屋仍不可用**且租客实际搬离**,则构成 constructive eviction。该「实际搬离」要求把它与其他请求权区分开。

Common law; PA AG Guide Part IV.D ↗

Landlord entry rules

宾州无房东进入通知的成文法。进入权来自租约与默示的安静享有契约。

租客有权不受无理干扰地使用与享有房屋,但**须给予房东合理进入的便利**以进行维护维修或展示房屋。无固定法定期限 —— 常见的「24 小时」是租约与实务惯例,未核验为法律要求。

No statute; common law implied covenant of quiet enjoyment; PA AG Guide Part IV.D ↗

Burden of proof

默示适居性保证的义务不可由租约放弃;具体举证责任分配本次未从官方判例核验。

Common law per Pugh v. Holmes; PA AG Guide ↗

Sources and how to verify them

Every figure on this page comes from the official text or a state court opinion, not from a summary. The table below lists each provision used and the date it was last checked.

StatuteLast verifiedSource
Pugh v. Holmes, 486 Pa. 272, 405 A.2d 897 (Pa. 1979); 68 P.S. § 250.502-A 2026-10-09 official text ↗
Pugh v. Holmes (common law); PA AG Consumer Guide to Tenant and Landlord Rights, Part IV.C (v1.1, June 13, 2022) 2026-10-09 official text ↗
City Rent Withholding Act, Act of Jan. 24, 1966, 1965 P.L. 1534, No. 536 (Cl. 11), § 1, as amended June 11, 1968, P.L.159, No.89; referenced in 68 P.S. § 250.206 2026-10-09 official text ↗
Common law per Pugh v. Holmes; PA AG Guide Part IV.C 2026-10-09 official text ↗
Common law; PA AG Guide Part IV.D 2026-10-09 official text ↗
No statute; common law implied covenant of quiet enjoyment; PA AG Guide Part IV.D 2026-10-09 official text ↗
Common law per Pugh v. Holmes; PA AG Guide 2026-10-09 official text ↗

Where the official text and a secondary summary disagree, this page follows the official text and says so. Where a provision admits of more than one reading, that is flagged rather than smoothed over.

When you need a lawyer instead of a tool

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More Pennsylvania guides

Pennsylvania Security Deposit Return · Pennsylvania Security Deposit Rules · Pennsylvania Eviction Process · Pennsylvania Rent Increase Rules · Pennsylvania Landlord Retaliation

→ All Pennsylvania tenant rights topics

Common questions

What must a Pennsylvania landlord repair?

宾州的适居性义务源于普通法而非成文法:Pugh v. Holmes, 486 Pa. 272, 405 A.2d 897 (1979) 废止 caveat emptor,确立住宅租赁的默示适居性保证。

What can I do if my Pennsylvania landlord will not make repairs?

Rent escrow(City Rent Withholding Act):仅在地方机构认证房屋 unfit for human habitation 后可用。 Repair and deduct:州总检察长指南列为法定选项之一,但宾州无成文法、亦无可核验的 1 个月上限。 Constructive eviction:须在实际搬离后才成立。