Lease

• According to the Pennsylvania Landlord and Tenant Act, the rental agreement should contain the name of the tenant, the landlord and the terms. The lease can include the duration of the rental agreement and the amount of rent required. Landlords are required by the law to include the rules and policies for the residential property, such as controlling the number of pets or number of tenants who can live in the house. It's also a requirement to provide the name of the person responsible for meeting the rental unit's utility bills. To change the lease, an agreement between the tenant and landlord is required.
  
  

Security Deposit

• Under Pennsylvania laws, landlords aren't allowed to ask for a deposit of a period longer than two months rent during the first year of lease. During the second year, the security deposit can't be more than one month's rent. The landlord is also required to place the security in an escrow account to be used in the event of damages and unpaid rent when the tenancy ends.
  
  

Landlord Obligations

• The landlord is required to maintain the residential property according to the housing codes in the state. Maintaining electrical systems, plumbing and the heating equipment in the unit are also the landlord's responsibility. The property must be habitable for the tenant.
  
  

Eviction Process

• In Pennsylvania, a landlord has a right to evict a tenant for non-payment of rent or failure to comply with the rental agreement or the end of lease. The landlord should give the tenant notice before he files for an eviction in court. In case of nonpayment, the eviction notice must be a maximum of 10 days. The notice can be extended to 15 days in case it's the end of a one-year lease and 30 days if the lease is extended for more than a year. If the tenant fails to vacate the house, the landlord can file a complaint with the courts to remove him.