An Act amending the act of April 6, 1951 (P.L.69, No.20), known as The Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, providing for use of criminal records to screen tenants; imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission; and imposing penalties.
What changed between versions
Housing providers are now explicitly prohibited from considering criminal records for drug trafficking offenses under 18 Pa.C.S. § 7508 if the prison sentence is still being enforced, whereas the previous version only excluded convictions where the sentence had already concluded.
Penalties for housing discrimination were reduced from $1,000 to $500 for first-time violations, but the maximum penalty for repeat violations remains at $5,000.
The commission must now publish data on substantiated complaints every two years on its website, increasing transparency regarding housing provider violations.
Housing providers are now immune from liability for civil actions arising from decisions to rent to formerly incarcerated individuals, unless the provider acted with gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
New requirements mandate that the commission offer housing providers an opportunity to resolve complaints within 14 days of receiving notice before imposing penalties.
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