Pet Addendum in Pennsylvania

Adds pet terms to a lease. Assistance animals for people with disabilities are not pets: no pet fee or pet rent may be charged for them under federal fair housing rules.

What Pennsylvania law says

Pet deposits and fees	No pet-specific statute. The deposit cap applies to any sum a landlord requires to be held in escrow for damage to the premises or unpaid rent: no more than 2 months' rent in the first year of a lease and no more than 1 month's rent from the second year on. The Act does not separately address pet deposits, nonrefundable pet fees or monthly pet rent. Whether a separate 'pet deposit' counts toward the cap is not stated in the statute; a refundable pet deposit held against damage appears to fall within the escrow-funds limit. Source: Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, § 511.1 (68 P.S. § 250.511a)
Service & support animals (state law)	The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act makes it unlawful to refuse to lease housing, or to discriminate in terms, because of disability or because of the use of a guide animal (blindness or deafness) or support animal (physical handicap), or because a person is a handler or trainer of guide or support animals; inquiries and records about such animal use in connection with a lease are restricted. Pennsylvania has no statute specifically on emotional support animal documentation, misrepresentation penalties or pet-fee limits. Emotional support animal requests are handled under the disability reasonable-accommodation rules of the federal Fair Housing Act and PHRA. Source: 43 P.S. § 955(h)(1), (h)(6) (PHRA § 5(h))

Pet deposits and fees

No pet-specific statute. The deposit cap applies to any sum a landlord requires to be held in escrow for damage to the premises or unpaid rent: no more than 2 months' rent in the first year of a lease and no more than 1 month's rent from the second year on. The Act does not separately address pet deposits, nonrefundable pet fees or monthly pet rent.

Whether a separate 'pet deposit' counts toward the cap is not stated in the statute; a refundable pet deposit held against damage appears to fall within the escrow-funds limit.

Source: Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, § 511.1 (68 P.S. § 250.511a)

Service & support animals (state law)

The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act makes it unlawful to refuse to lease housing, or to discriminate in terms, because of disability or because of the use of a guide animal (blindness or deafness) or support animal (physical handicap), or because a person is a handler or trainer of guide or support animals; inquiries and records about such animal use in connection with a lease are restricted. Pennsylvania has no statute specifically on emotional support animal documentation, misrepresentation penalties or pet-fee limits.

Emotional support animal requests are handled under the disability reasonable-accommodation rules of the federal Fair Housing Act and PHRA.

Source: 43 P.S. § 955(h)(1), (h)(6) (PHRA § 5(h))

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PET ADDENDUM to the lease for [rental address] dated [lease date]

Tenant: [tenant name] Pet(s): [type, breed, name, weight]

Pet deposit: $[pet deposit] (counts toward any state deposit limit where the law says so). Monthly pet rent: $[pet rent]

The tenant keeps the pet under control, cleans up after it, and pays for damage it causes beyond normal wear and tear.

Signatures and dates: [signatures]

Pet Addendum for other states · Pennsylvania tenant rights

General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.