Pennsylvania laws governing tenant screening and rental applications protect tenants from discrimination and ensure fair and equal access to rental housing. Informational only; not legal advice.

• Discrimination laws: In addition to the prohibitions against discrimination in the Federal Fair Housing Act, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act prohibits landlords from discriminating against potential tenants based on race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, or the use of a guide or support animal.
• Credit checks: Landlords in Pennsylvania may conduct credit checks on potential tenants, but they must obtain written consent from the tenant before doing so. The landlord must provide a copy of the credit report to the tenant if requested. Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S. Code § 1681).
• Criminal background checks: In Pennsylvania, landlords are allowed to conduct criminal background checks on potential tenants. However, landlords must comply with certain restrictions on the type of information that can be considered. For example, landlords cannot consider arrests that did not lead to a conviction or criminal records that have been expunged or sealed. Pennsylvania Criminal History Record Information Act (18 Pa. Cons. Stat. §§ 9101-9183).
• Application fees: Landlords in Pennsylvania are allowed to charge application fees to potential tenants, but the fee should be reasonable.
• Tenant screening criteria: Landlords in Pennsylvania must have written screening criteria that are applied consistently to all potential tenants. The criteria must be based on legitimate business reasons, such as credit history, income, and rental history. Pennsylvania Landlord and Tenant Act (68 P.S. § 250.512).
• Fair Housing Act: Landlords in Pennsylvania must comply with the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability. Federal Fair Housing Act (42 U.S. Code § 3601).
• In Philadelphia, it is illegal for a prospective landlord to decline a prospective tenant solely because of (a) the existence of an eviction record or (b) a credit score or tenant screening score below a specific number. Instead, a prospective Philadelphia landlord is required to develop and use uniform screening criteria to give each prospective tenant an individualized assessment.

In addition, Pennsylvania has specific laws related to the use of tenant screening reports. This includes the Tenant Fair Chance Act (68 P.S. § 1121 et seq.), which sets requirements for the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of screening reports. It also includes the Pennsylvania Identity Theft Act (18 Pa. Cons. Stat. §§ 4120-4129), which requires landlords to take certain steps to protect tenants' personal information during the rental application and tenant screening process.