What Should a Rental Lease Include?

Every Pennsylvania lease starts with the basics: who is renting, what is being rented, and for how long. Write the full legal names of every adult occupant, not just the person who pays first. An adult who lives there but is not on the lease is outside your agreement, which makes enforcement harder later. List the complete property address, including the unit number, so the lease clearly covers one specific rental and nothing else.

The term is the heart of the lease. A fixed term, typically 12 months, spells out the start and end dates; a month-to-month lease rolls until either side gives notice. Be explicit about which one you are signing, because the ending rules differ, and state the move-in date clearly.

Finally, identify who signs. In Pennsylvania, a written lease signed by both sides is enforceable and worth the paper it is printed on. Verbal month-to-month agreements exist, but they leave the details to memory and argument.

The money terms belong in writing, down to the dollar and the date. State the monthly rent, the date it is due each month, and the forms of payment you accept. If you charge a late fee, say how much it is. Pennsylvania law does not limit a late fee by statute, but an unreasonable one can be challenged, so keep it modest and state it clearly in the lease.

For the security deposit, follow the Pennsylvania rule: limit it to two months' rent in the first year of the tenancy, state what it can be used for, and remember that deposits held beyond two years earn interest for the tenant. Return the deposit within 30 days of move-out with an itemized list of deductions, or forfeit much of your right to keep it.

List any other charges up front, such as returned-check fees, structured within the rules and put in writing.

Utilities and maintenance are the most common source of disagreement after move-in, so assign them in the lease. List every utility and who pays for it: water, sewer, electric, gas, trash, and internet. For separately metered units the tenant usually pays their own usage; for a single bill connected to the building, say exactly how the costs are handled.

On maintenance, Pennsylvania courts recognize the implied warranty of habitability, which means you must keep the property safe and livable with working heat, water, and electricity. The lease should assign who handles what, such as the landlord covering systems and appliances while the tenant handles routine tasks like changing filters. Spell out how a tenant reports a repair and set a reasonable response-time expectation.

A lease that assigns maintenance duties clearly prevents the classic standoff over the furnace. Write the division of labor before move-in, not after a breakdown.

Write the house rules into the lease so everyone knows them from day one. State who may live in the unit and how guests are treated. Require that any additional occupants be added to the agreement in writing, so a roommate does not quietly become a tenant with rights.

For pets, decide your policy before you advertise the unit. A no-pets lease is enforceable in Pennsylvania, but a tenant with a disability who needs a service or emotional support animal is entitled to a reasonable accommodation under fair housing law, and that is not a pet-policy issue. If you allow pets, say which types and sizes, whether there is a pet deposit, and how you handle violations. An unauthorized pet is grounds for a lease-violation notice, and the lease should say so.

Also address smoking, noise hours, parking, and business use. Local ordinances can layer on top of your lease, so write rules that match what you will actually enforce.

A good lease explains how the landlord enters the unit and how either side ends the agreement. Pennsylvania does not set a specific notice rule for routine entry, so put one in the lease, typically 24 hours' notice for repairs and inspections, with immediate entry allowed for genuine emergencies. Tenants have a right to quiet enjoyment, and surprise entries destroy trust.

Violations should have consequences stated in advance: a written notice with a chance to cure, then a formal notice to quit if the problem continues. For nonpayment of rent, Pennsylvania law requires a written notice giving the tenant 10 days to pay or move before an eviction can begin; other lease breaches generally get 15 days to fix. Never use self-help: Pennsylvania forbids landlords from locking out tenants or removing belongings without a court order.

Finally, address the end of the tenancy: renewal options, notice requirements, move-out expectations, and the security deposit return schedule.