Eviction Process in Philadelphia, PA

The eviction process in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania follows these steps:

Before filing for eviction with the courts, the landlord will need to apply for the Diversion Program for each tenant. This needs to be certified mailed as well as emailed to the tenant. The landlord also needs to apply for diversion online and in order to do so, they need to have an active rental license.

Once the Diversion Program is approved, the tenants will be assigned a Housing Coordinator who will help with the mediation process between the tenant and landlord for 30 days, before the eviction gets taken to court. If the mediation does not work the landlord can then file the eviction with the court. 

Court Hearing

The tenant has the right to contest the eviction at a hearing in front of a judge. Both the landlord and the tenant will have the opportunity to present their case and any evidence they have.

After the hearing, the judge will issue a judgment in favor of either the landlord or the tenant. If the judge finds in favor of the landlord, a writ of possession will be issued, which allows the sheriff to physically remove the tenant from the property within 24 hours of being served.

Necessary Landlord Documents

When filing for eviction in Philadelphia, landlords should be prepared with the following documents:

• Tenant’s lease agreement
• A copy of the Diversion Program notice 
• The Rental License 
• The Certificate(s) of Rental Suitability
• A current Housing Inspection License
• Up to date Ledger of the tenant’s