Landlords: get licensed & city-tax compliant, the right way.
Beyond getting your back rent paid, we also handle licensing and compliance with city taxes. To rent legally, a landlord needs a valid Philadelphia Rental License, and it comes with a few steps that have to happen in the right order. We handle all of them, so you're cleared to operate without the runaround.
Why you need a Philadelphia rental license
Why you need a rental license in Philadelphia.
Without a valid Rental License you can't legally collect rent, you can't enforce an eviction, and you're racking up fines every month. The good news: it's tedious paperwork, but simple, and we handle all of it.
What happens if you don't have one
- You can't legally collect rent. Renting without a valid license puts you out of compliance with the Philadelphia Property Maintenance Code from day one.
- You can't enforce an eviction. Philadelphia courts can dismiss an eviction if you don't hold a valid Rental License and can't show you gave the tenant a Certificate of Rental Suitability.
- You face fines and penalties. Operating unlicensed exposes you to L&I violations and per-day penalties that add up fast.
- It quietly blocks everything downstream. A missing or lapsed license can stall a sale, a refinance, or a rent-assistance filing.
What you need to get licensed
- A Business Tax Account (BIRT) with the Department of Revenue, the first link in the chain.
- A Commercial Activity License, unless you qualify for the owner-occupied exception (below).
- A valid Rental License from L&I, renewed every year before it lapses.
- A Certificate of Rental Suitability, issued within 60 days before a new tenant moves in.
- To be current on city taxes and clear of open code violations.
Certificate of Rental Suitability
This is the question most landlords search for: how to get a rental license in Philadelphia, what the requirements are, and why it matters. The honest answer: the requirements aren't complicated, but the order, renewals, and certificate trip people up. That's exactly the part we do for you.
Why you need a Commercial Activity License
Do you need a Commercial Activity License?
For most Philadelphia landlords, yes. The City treats renting as a business, so this license usually has to be in place before your Rental License can issue. It's free but mandatory, and it sits in a specific spot in the order. We sort out whether you need it and handle it if you do.
The order matters: do it in this sequence
- 1. Business Tax Account / BIRT first. Open a Business Tax Account with the Department of Revenue before anything else. Nothing downstream issues without it.
- 2. Commercial Activity License next. With the tax account in place, you obtain the Commercial Activity License from L&I.
- 3. Then the Rental License. Only once the account and license are in place will L&I issue your Rental License.
Get the order wrong and the application stalls. We set up each link in sequence so it never bounces back.
What you need to know
- It's free, but mandatory. No fee for the Commercial Activity License, yet you can't skip it (unless you qualify for the exception below).
- You must be current on city taxes. The City won't issue it if you have outstanding filings or an open balance.
- It's the gate to the Rental License. No Commercial Activity License (where required) means no Rental License means no legal right to collect rent.
The four documents in order
The license chain, in the right order.
Business Tax Account first
Open a Business Tax Account (a BIRT account) with the Department of Revenue before anything else. Licensing won't issue without it.
Commercial Activity License
Next, a Commercial Activity License, unless the property has four or fewer units and you live in one of them. Then this step is skipped.
Then the Rental License
With the account (and license, if required) in place, L&I issues the Rental License. We also pull your Certificate of Rental Suitability.
Before L&I will issue or renew a Rental License, the owner must be current on city taxes and filings and clear of open code violations. If you have an open tax balance or unfiled returns, start with City Tax Compliance. We clear the hold first, then license.
Rental License intake
Tell us about you and the property.
The questions about unit count, owner-occupancy, and what you already have determine exactly which steps you need.
What we do for you
Clear the tax hold that's blocking your Rental License.
Before Philadelphia will issue or renew a Rental License, you must be current on city taxes and filings: the Business Income & Receipts Tax (BIRT) and related filings. An unresolved balance or a missing return quietly blocks your license. We set up your Business Tax Account, file the outstanding returns, and clear the holds so you can get licensed.
Set up your tax account
We open your Business Tax Account (BIRT) with the Department of Revenue. It's the prerequisite for everything downstream, including the Rental License.
File the back returns
Missing BIRT or related filings stall licensing. We prepare and file the outstanding returns to get your account current.
Clear the hold or lien
We resolve the balance, hold, or lien standing between you and a valid license, and confirm the city shows you compliant.
City tax compliance intake
A few questions tell us exactly what to set up, file, or clear.
Read the guide
Want the detail first? Our landlord guides set out each document and the order the City needs them in.
- Philadelphia Rental License Requirements: The Order of Operations. The four steps to legally rent, in the exact order they have to happen, with the ones that stall landlords flagged.
- Do You Need a Commercial Activity License to Rent in Philadelphia? Most landlords do. What it is, the owner-occupied exception, and where it sits in the chain.
- The Certificate of Rental Suitability and the 60-Day Rule. The tenancy document that can cost you the right to evict if you skip it.
Talk to a human
Request your free case review.
Tell us about your rental and the balance owed, or which license you need. We'll tell you whether the City will pay, and handle the entire filing if it's a fit. No fee, no obligation.
What happens next
- We review your details, usually within one business day.
- We tell you straight whether the City will likely pay.
- If it's a fit, we open diversion and elect the TFA track.
- We run the portal application so it never stalls.
- Approved funds reach you by direct deposit.
Owed more than $3,500? You can still be considered if you agree to waive the amount over $3,500. See what you can collect.
First, are you the landlord or the tenant?
We're hired by property owners. One click, and we'll show you the right thing.
Rental Assistance Philadelphia is a private filing service hired by owners. We are not the City and we do not represent tenants.
✓ Landlord / property manager