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Pennsylvania Lease Agreement Template

A printable Pennsylvania residential lease agreement, plus the Pennsylvania-specific rules worth knowing before you fill it in: a deposit cap that shrinks after the first year, interest owed on long-held deposits, the 30-day return deadline, and why the entry clause matters more in Pennsylvania than in most states.

Educational sample — not legal advice

This template and the rules summarized here are general educational information as of this page's writing, not legal advice, and statutes change. Pennsylvania's Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 (68 P.S. § 250.101 et seq.) governs residential tenancies, and Philadelphia and other cities layer on local requirements — have a Pennsylvania attorney or current state resource verify your completed lease before anyone signs.

The Pennsylvania Rules That Shape a Lease

Topic	Pennsylvania rule (commonly cited — verify current law)
Security deposit cap	Two months' rent during the first year of the lease; one month's rent from the second year on (excess must be returned when year two begins)
Deposit interest & escrow	Deposits held more than two years must sit in an escrow account at a regulated institution, with interest owed to the tenant (less a small administrative share commonly cited as 1%/year)
Deposit return	Within 30 days after surrender or lease end, with a written itemized list of deductions; missing the deadline can forfeit the right to withhold and expose the landlord to double damages
Late fees	No statutory cap; must be in the written lease and defensible as reasonable, not a penalty
Entry notice	No statutory period — the lease clause controls, so write one
Month-to-month termination	No clear statutory period for routine non-renewal — commonly handled by the lease; check the current statute and any local ordinance, and write the notice period into the agreement
Key disclosures	Federal lead paint (pre-1978); escrow bank name and address once the deposit is escrowed; Philadelphia and other cities add local disclosure and licensing requirements

The Pennsylvania Template

Print this page or copy the text into your document editor. It follows our standard residential lease structure with the Pennsylvania-specific clauses adjusted.

Pennsylvania Residential Lease Agreement

1. PARTIES. This Residential Lease Agreement (“Agreement”) is made on ___________, 20___, between ______________________________ (“Landlord”) and ______________________________ (“Tenant”). Each Tenant is jointly and severally liable for all obligations under this Agreement.
2. PREMISES. Landlord leases to Tenant the residential premises located at ______________________________________________, Unit ______, ______________________ (City), Pennsylvania __________ (ZIP) (the “Premises”), together with the following included items or areas (appliances, parking, storage): ______________________________________________.
3. TERM. The term of this Agreement begins on ___________, 20___, and ends on ___________, 20___ (check one): ☐ Fixed term ☐ Month-to-month. If Tenant remains in possession after the end of a fixed term with Landlord's consent, the tenancy continues month-to-month on the same terms; either party may then terminate with at least ______ days' written notice as provided in Section 13.
4. RENT. Tenant shall pay rent of $__________ per month, due in advance on the ______ day of each month, payable to ______________________________ by the following method(s): ______________________________. Rent for any partial first or last month shall be prorated.
5. LATE FEES & RETURNED PAYMENTS. If rent is not received within ______ days after the due date, Tenant shall pay a late fee of $__________, which the parties agree is a reasonable estimate of Landlord's costs of late payment and not a penalty. Tenant shall pay a fee of $__________ for any payment returned for insufficient funds, as permitted by law.
6. SECURITY DEPOSIT. Tenant shall pay a security deposit of $__________ before taking possession, in an amount permitted by current Pennsylvania law (no more than two months' rent during the first year of the lease, and no more than one month's rent thereafter). If the deposit is held for more than two years, Landlord shall hold it in an escrow account and account for interest as Pennsylvania law requires. Within 30 days after Tenant surrenders the Premises or this Agreement ends, Landlord shall return the deposit less lawful deductions itemized in writing. Tenant shall provide Landlord a forwarding address in writing at or before move-out.
7. UTILITIES & SERVICES. Tenant shall pay for the following utilities and services: ______________________________________________. Landlord shall pay for: ______________________________________________.
8. OCCUPANCY & USE. The Premises shall be occupied only by Tenant and the following named occupants: ______________________________________________. The Premises shall be used as a private residence only. Guests staying more than ______ consecutive days require Landlord's written consent.
9. MAINTENANCE & REPAIRS. Landlord shall keep the Premises fit for habitation as Pennsylvania's implied warranty of habitability requires. Tenant shall keep the Premises clean and sanitary, dispose of waste properly, use fixtures and appliances reasonably, promptly notify Landlord in writing of any condition needing repair, and be responsible for damage caused by Tenant's or Tenant's guests' negligence or misuse. Repair requests shall be sent in writing to: ______________________________________________.
10. LANDLORD'S RIGHT OF ENTRY. Landlord may enter the Premises to inspect, make repairs, or show the Premises to prospective tenants or buyers after giving Tenant at least ______ hours' advance notice, and may enter without notice in an emergency.
11. PETS. (Check one) ☐ No pets are permitted without Landlord's prior written consent. ☐ The following pet(s) are permitted: ______________________________, subject to a pet deposit of $__________ and/or pet rent of $__________ per month. This section does not apply to service or assistance animals as defined by applicable law.
12. ASSIGNMENT & SUBLETTING. Tenant shall not assign this Agreement or sublet any portion of the Premises without Landlord's prior written consent.
13. TERMINATION & RENEWAL. Either party may end a month-to-month tenancy with at least ______ days' written notice. For a fixed term, notice of non-renewal shall be given at least ______ days before the end of the term. Upon termination, Tenant shall return all keys, provide a forwarding address in writing, and leave the Premises clean and in the same condition as received, normal wear and tear excepted.
14. GOVERNING LAW & DISCLOSURES. This Agreement is governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, including the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951. If any provision is held invalid, the remaining provisions continue in full force. Required disclosures and addenda — including the federal lead-based paint disclosure for housing built before 1978 and any disclosures required by local ordinance — are attached and incorporated into this Agreement.
15. ENTIRE AGREEMENT. This Agreement, together with any attached addenda, is the entire agreement between the parties and may be amended only in a writing signed by both parties.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement on the date first written above.

Landlord signature

Printed name & date

Tenant signature

Printed name & date

Sample for educational purposes — not legal advice. Verify current Pennsylvania requirements and add any locally required disclosures before use.

Filling It In: The Pennsylvania-Specific Steps

1Set the deposit with year two in mind — you can hold up to two months' rent in the first year, but the cap drops to one month after that, and the excess has to go back to the tenant. Many landlords just charge one month from the start to skip the mid-tenancy refund.
2Calendar the two-year escrow mark — once a deposit has been held more than two years it belongs in an escrow account, with interest accruing to the tenant.
3Write a real entry clause — Pennsylvania gives you no statutory default, so the hours you write are the rule.
4Fill in the late-fee and notice blanks deliberately — no Pennsylvania statute caps late fees or fixes a month-to-month notice period, so the numbers you write into Sections 5 and 13 are the ones that will govern. Keep the fee reasonable and check any local ordinance.
5Calendar the 30-day deposit clock at move-out — missing it can forfeit your right to withhold anything and expose you to double damages. If you rent in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh, also confirm local licensing and disclosure rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Pennsylvania limit how much security deposit a landlord can charge?

Yes, and the cap changes over the life of the tenancy: during the first year of a lease the deposit may not exceed two months' rent, and from the second year on it may not exceed one month's rent — meaning a landlord holding two months must return the excess when year two begins. The rule comes from Pennsylvania's Landlord and Tenant Act (commonly cited as 68 P.S. § 250.511a); verify the current statute before setting your amount.

Does a Pennsylvania landlord owe interest on a security deposit?

Once a deposit has been held for more than two years, Pennsylvania requires it to be placed in an escrow account in a regulated institution and the tenant becomes entitled to the interest it earns (the landlord may keep a small administrative portion, commonly cited as 1% per year). For short tenancies the interest rules never kick in, but landlords with long-term tenants should calendar the two-year mark.

How is a security deposit returned in Pennsylvania?

Within 30 days after the tenant surrenders the property or the lease ends, the landlord must return the deposit with a written itemized list of any damages and deductions. The tenant should provide a new address in writing; failing to do so limits the tenant's remedies. A landlord who blows the 30-day deadline can forfeit the right to keep any of the deposit and may owe double the wrongfully withheld amount, so the clock is worth taking seriously.

Does a Pennsylvania landlord have to give notice before entering?

Pennsylvania has no statute setting an entry-notice period — the lease controls. That makes the entry clause one of the most important lines in a Pennsylvania lease: write the notice period (24 hours is customary) and the permitted reasons into the agreement, because the lease is what a court will look at.

How much can a Pennsylvania landlord charge as a late fee?

Pennsylvania has no statute capping residential late fees, so the lease controls — but the fee must be in the written lease and defensible as a reasonable estimate of the cost of late payment, not a penalty. Courts can refuse to enforce a fee they consider punitive, so keep it modest and put it in writing.

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