Rent Cap Ledger

Philadelphia · No rent cap

How much can a landlord raise rent in Philadelphia?

No cap

No rent cap in effect · checked Oct 18, 2026

There's no limit on how much a landlord can raise rent in Philadelphia; we found no city or state rent cap. The city code requires at least 60 days' written notice for a tenancy of a year or more, and 30 days for a shorter one.

In effect
No cap in effect
Next change
No fixed date
Set by
City of Philadelphia (Fair Housing Commission) · No rent cap
Last checked
October 18, 2026

We found no Philadelphia or Pennsylvania law that caps the amount of a rent increase. The city code sets 30- or 60-day notice rules.

§ 1 · The law

Why Philadelphia has no rent cap

No cap

There's no formula, because there's no cap: neither the Philadelphia Code nor the Pennsylvania sources we checked limit the amount of a rent increase. Philadelphia Code § 9-804 controls how an increase is made: written notice at least 60 days ahead for a tenancy of one year or more, and 30 days for a shorter one, stating the increase, the effective date and the new payment.

Law: No rent control ordinance; Philadelphia Code § 9-804 sets rent-increase notice and good-cause rules.

§ 2 · Coverage

What still limits an increase

What applies

  • Written notice of at least 60 days (tenancy of one year or more) or 30 days (less than one year), stating the amount, the effective date and the new payment, by hand or first-class mail with proof of mailing
  • For leases under one year (including month-to-month), non-renewal needs good cause; refusing a reasonable rent increase can be one
  • No retaliatory increases for joining a tenant organization or reporting code violations

Limits that don't apply

  • No limit on the size of the increase
  • Pennsylvania has no statewide rent cap that we found on official sources

§ 3 · Timing

Notice, and when it changes next

Notice: At least 60 days' written notice for a tenancy of one year or more and 30 days for less than one year, delivered by hand or by first-class mail with proof of mailing (Philadelphia Code § 9-804(11)).

Next change: No change is scheduled. We track the city's Fair Housing Commission pages for changes.

§ 2a · Local rules

Philadelphia's tenant protections

  • What the notice must say

    The notice must state the amount of the increase, the date it takes effect and the new payment, in writing, by hand delivery or first-class mail with proof of mailing.

    Source: “the landlord shall notify the tenant of the following: (i) the amount of the rent increase; (ii) the effective date of the rent increase; and (iii) the new payment amount.”

  • Good cause for short leases

    For leases of less than one year, including ones that roll month to month, a landlord needs a good-cause reason to terminate or not renew.

    Source: “This rule applies to leases that are for less than one year, including those that convert to shorter time frames like month to month.”

  • No retaliatory increases

    Raising rent to retaliate against a tenant who joined a tenant organization or filed a code complaint is an unfair rental practice.

    Source: “Retaliation by a landlord may include raising rent, shutting off utilities, or attempting to evict tenants.”

  • Renters' Access Act

    Landlords must use uniform screening criteria for applicants' rental and credit history.

    Source: “The Renters’ Access Act supports fair access to housing by creating uniform screening criteria for applicants’ rental and credit history.”

Cost of living here

Rents and prices around Philadelphia

Official figures only, each for the area named. Prices are for the wider metro area; rents and incomes are for the city itself.

Price level

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area · BEA 2024

All items102.6
Housing113.1

Regional Price Parities: an index where the US average price level for all items = 100. Housing is BEA’s “Services: Housing” line (US = 100.6).

Fair Market Rents

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA · HUD FY2027

HUD Fair Market Rent per month by unit size, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA
Studio$1,438
1 bedroom$1,558
2 bedrooms$1,860
3 bedrooms$2,216
4 bedrooms$2,445

Monthly gross rent (rent plus utilities). HUD: FMRs are “estimates of 40th percentile gross rents for standard quality units”.

Rents and incomes

Philadelphia city, Pennsylvania · ACS 2020–2024 5-year

Median gross rent
$1,397/mo US $1,413/mo
Median household income
$61,953 US $80,734
Median rent as % of household income
31.4% US 30.6%

Gross rent includes utilities. The rent-to-income figure is for renter households (Census table B25071).

Sources

  1. BEA Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area (MARPP) ↗ · 2024 (released February 19, 2026) · about the data ↗ · retrieved Oct 18, 2026
  2. OMB metropolitan area delineations (Census list 1, July 2023) ↗ · July 2023 (OMB Bulletin 23-01) · retrieved Oct 18, 2026
  3. HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027 (county-level data file) ↗ · FY2027 · about the data ↗ · retrieved Oct 18, 2026
  4. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (tables B25064, B19013, B25071) ↗ · 2020–2024 · about the data ↗ · retrieved Oct 18, 2026

Compare Philadelphia with another city → All places ranked → Can I afford my rent? →

§ 4 · Sources

Official sources

  1. City of Philadelphia (Philadelphia Code, via American Legal Publishing) · headline: notice rules Philadelphia Code § 9-804 (unfair rental practices) ↗
    “At least 60 days prior to the effective date of a rent increase where a residential tenancy is one year or more, and at least 30 days prior to the effective date of a rent increase where a residential tenancy is less than one year”
    Last checked October 18, 2026 · codelibrary.amlegal.com
  2. City of Philadelphia, Fair Housing Commission · retaliation, good cause Unfair rental practices ↗
    “Retaliation by a landlord may include raising rent, shutting off utilities, or attempting to evict tenants.”
    Last checked October 18, 2026 · phila.gov
  3. City of Philadelphia, Fair Housing Commission · Renters' Access Act Renters’ Access Act: Tenant screening guidelines ↗
    “The Renters’ Access Act supports fair access to housing by creating uniform screening criteria for applicants’ rental and credit history.”
    Last checked October 18, 2026 · phila.gov

See something out of date? The methodology page explains how we check figures.

§ 5 · Questions

Frequently asked

How much can a landlord raise rent in Philadelphia?

There's no limit on how much a landlord can raise rent in Philadelphia; we found no city or state rent cap. The city code requires at least 60 days' written notice for a tenancy of a year or more, and 30 days for a shorter one.

How much notice is required for a rent increase in Philadelphia?

At least 60 days' written notice for a tenancy of one year or more and 30 days for less than one year, delivered by hand or by first-class mail with proof of mailing (Philadelphia Code § 9-804(11)).

How often can rent be raised in Philadelphia?

We haven't found a once-a-year limit on the official sources we track; a fixed-term lease usually can't be changed mid-term unless it says so.

Could Philadelphia adopt rent control?

No change is scheduled. We track the city's Fair Housing Commission pages for changes.

Where does this Philadelphia information come from?

From City of Philadelphia (Philadelphia Code, via American Legal Publishing): “Philadelphia Code § 9-804 (unfair rental practices)”, which we last checked on October 18, 2026, plus the other official sources listed on this page. Always confirm with the agency or a lawyer before relying on it.

Elsewhere

Other jurisdictions