Free tools for Pennsylvania renters and students to check a lease, get repairs done and get your deposit back
What you can do here
Free, private, no sign-up
College-town leases often get signed months ahead, with every roommate liable for the full rent.
Add your lease and we highlight risky clauses in plain English. Then put who pays what in a roommate agreement.
Fake listings show up before every fall semester. Never pay to hold a place you haven't seen.
Paste the listing or message and we point out the scam warning signs.
Start with a written, dated request. In Philadelphia, a landlord without a valid rental license generally can't collect rent or evict.
Answer a few questions and get a formal repair request letter ready to send.
Pennsylvania landlords must return it or itemize deductions within 30 days. Give your forwarding address in writing, or you lose the right to double damages.
Check whether the deadline has passed and create a demand letter that cites Pennsylvania law.
Tools get you organized. These folks can advise you
Up to two months' rent in the first year of a lease, and no more than one month's rent from the second year on.
30 days after the lease ends, with an itemized list of any deductions. A landlord who misses it can owe double the amount wrongly kept.
If you don't give the landlord your new address in writing, you can still ask for your deposit, but you lose the right to double damages.
Independent and free. Not affiliated with any university, tenant union or legal aid office. Not legal advice. Last reviewed September 2026. Run a group for these renters and want something changed? Tell us
Educational information, not legal advice - figures are general and laws change. How we keep this accurate & where to verify → · Spot an error? Tell us →