How to Evict a Tenant in Pennsylvania (2026)
The legal steps for landlords in Pennsylvania — the notice, the court case, costs, timeline and the mistakes that get cases thrown out — with the statute or official page behind each step.
Short answer: In Pennsylvania a landlord must give the required written notice, file an eviction case in court if the tenant doesn't pay or leave, win a judgment, and have a sheriff or other officer carry out the removal. Changing the locks or removing belongings yourself is not allowed.
Step 1: Have a legal reason and give the right notice
| Unpaid rent | 10-day written notice to quit. |
|---|---|
| Lease violation | Lease of 1 year or less or indeterminate term: 15 days' notice to quit. Lease of more than 1 year: 30 days. Illegal-drug grounds under § 505-A: 10 days. |
| Ending a month-to-month tenancy (no fault) | 15 days' notice before the end of the term (applies to leases of one year or less or indeterminate term, including month-to-month) for either party per the AG guide; the statute's 15-day notice-to-quit governs landlord termination. |
Local rent-control or just-cause rules can limit evictions: No statewide rent control or rent-increase cap, and no statute that expressly bans local rent control. No statute authorizes it either, and home-rule municipalities may not set duties or requirements for businesses unless a statewide statute expressly allows it, so a local rent cap would face a serious legal challenge.
Step 2: Write and deliver the notice correctly
| What the notice must say | Written notice to quit stating that the tenant must remove within 10 days from the date of service for failure, upon demand, to pay rent due. (Mobile home park residents: 15 days if served April 1 - Aug. 31, 30 days if served Sept. 1 - March 31.) Service: personally on the tenant, by leaving it at the principal building on the premises, or by posting it conspicuously on the leased premises. The lease may shorten or waive the notice. Source: 68 P.S. 250.501(a)-(c), (e)-(f) |
|---|---|
| How it must be delivered | A notice to quit may be served personally on the tenant, left at the main building on the premises, or posted conspicuously on the rental. The lease may shorten or waive the notice period. No statute authorizes email or text notices. Source: 68 P.S. § 250.501(e)-(f) |
Notice forms:
- Pennsylvania notice to pay rent or quit — requirements and free draft
- Pennsylvania notice to end a month-to-month tenancy — requirements and free draft
- Statutory abandoned-property notice text (68 P.S. 250.505a(e)) (official)
Step 3: File the eviction case and go to the hearing
Eviction cases in Pennsylvania are heard in: Magisterial District Court (Philadelphia Municipal Court in Philadelphia).
- Written notice to quit: 10 days (nonpayment), 15 or 30 days (lease end/breach) unless waived in the lease (68 P.S. § 250.501)
- Landlord files a landlord-tenant complaint with the magisterial district judge
- Summons issued for a hearing not less than 7 nor more than 10 days from the date of the summons; served personally, by mail, or by posting (68 P.S. § 250.502)
- Hearing; judgment for possession, damages and rent (68 P.S. § 250.503(a))
- Tenant may appeal to the Court of Common Pleas within 10 days of judgment (residential); appeal stays eviction only if rent/judgment amount is deposited (68 P.S. § 250.513)
- After the 5th day following judgment (court rules: 10 days), landlord requests writ/order of possession; it is served within 48 hours and executed on the 11th day after service (68 P.S. § 250.503(b))
- Removal by constable or sheriff; nonpayment-only tenants can stop the writ by paying rent in arrears and costs before execution (§ 503(c))
Court timing: Hearing date 7 to 10 days from the date of the summons (statute). No written answer required; counterclaims must be filed before the hearing (Pa.R.Civ.P.M.D.J. 508, per AG guide).
Source: 68 P.S. §§ 250.501-250.513
How long it takes to evict a tenant in Pennsylvania
For unpaid rent, the notice period is 10 days; after that comes the court process (filing, service, the tenant's answer and a hearing), then the final order and removal by an officer. Uncontested cases move fastest; a contested case, an appeal or a crowded court adds weeks. See how long evictions take in every state.
How much it costs to evict a tenant in Pennsylvania
Court filing and service fees are set locally. Verified fees in the largest Pennsylvania counties:
| County | Filing and service fees |
|---|---|
| Philadelphia County (Philadelphia) | Landlord-tenant complaint: $94.75 (claims $0–$2,000), $116.75 ($2,000.01–$10,000), $138.75 (over $10,000), each including $27 for service on one defendant in Philadelphia; $45 per defendant for service elsewhere in Pennsylvania; $5.50 for each additional name (except husband and wife). |
| Allegheny County (Pittsburgh) | 2026 MDJ costs: $102.50 (claim $2,000 or less); $125.50 (over $2,000 to $4,000); $171.00 (over $4,000 to $12,000). Order of execution $51.50. |
| Montgomery County (Norristown) | 2026 MDJ costs: $102.50 (claim $2,000 or less); $125.50 (over $2,000 to $4,000); $171.00 (over $4,000 to $12,000). Order of execution $51.50. |
| Delaware County (Media) | 2026 MDJ costs: $102.50 (claim $2,000 or less); $125.50 (over $2,000 to $4,000); $171.00 (over $4,000 to $12,000). Order of execution $51.50. |
| Lancaster County (Lancaster) | 2026 MDJ costs: $102.50 (claim $2,000 or less); $125.50 (over $2,000 to $4,000); $171.00 (over $4,000 to $12,000). Order of execution $51.50. |
| Bucks County (Doylestown) | 2026 MDJ costs: $102.50 (claim $2,000 or less); $125.50 (over $2,000 to $4,000); $171.00 (over $4,000 to $12,000). Order of execution $51.50. |
| Chester County (West Chester) | 2026 MDJ costs: $102.50 (claim $2,000 or less); $125.50 (over $2,000 to $4,000); $171.00 (over $4,000 to $12,000). Order of execution $51.50. |
| Lehigh County (Allentown) | 2026 MDJ costs: $102.50 (claim $2,000 or less); $125.50 (over $2,000 to $4,000); $171.00 (over $4,000 to $12,000). Order of execution $51.50. |
| Berks County (Reading) | 2026 MDJ costs: $102.50 (claim $2,000 or less); $125.50 (over $2,000 to $4,000); $171.00 (over $4,000 to $12,000). Order of execution $51.50. |
| Dauphin County (Harrisburg) | 2026 MDJ costs: $102.50 (claim $2,000 or less); $125.50 (over $2,000 to $4,000); $171.00 (over $4,000 to $12,000). Order of execution $51.50. |
| Luzerne County (Wilkes-Barre) | 2026 MDJ costs: $102.50 (claim $2,000 or less); $125.50 (over $2,000 to $4,000); $171.00 (over $4,000 to $12,000). Order of execution $51.50. |
| York County (York) | 2026 MDJ costs: $102.50 (claim $2,000 or less); $125.50 (over $2,000 to $4,000); $171.00 (over $4,000 to $12,000). Order of execution $51.50. |
| Northampton County (Easton) | 2026 MDJ costs: $102.50 (claim $2,000 or less); $125.50 (over $2,000 to $4,000); $171.00 (over $4,000 to $12,000). Order of execution $51.50. |
| Erie County (Erie) | 2026 MDJ costs: $102.50 (claim $2,000 or less); $125.50 (over $2,000 to $4,000); $171.00 (over $4,000 to $12,000). Order of execution $51.50. |
| Westmoreland County (Greensburg) | 2026 MDJ costs: $102.50 (claim $2,000 or less); $125.50 (over $2,000 to $4,000); $171.00 (over $4,000 to $12,000). Order of execution $51.50. |
| Lackawanna County (Scranton) | 2026 MDJ costs: $102.50 (claim $2,000 or less); $125.50 (over $2,000 to $4,000); $171.00 (over $4,000 to $12,000). Order of execution $51.50. |
| Cumberland County (Carlisle) | 2026 MDJ costs: $102.50 (claim $2,000 or less); $125.50 (over $2,000 to $4,000); $171.00 (over $4,000 to $12,000). Order of execution $51.50. |
Add the cost of a lawyer if you hire one, lost rent during the case, and any writ or officer fee to remove the tenant.
Evicting someone without a lease (family member, roommate, guest or squatter)
| Someone with no written lease who pays rent (month-to-month / at will) | 15 days' notice before the end of the term (applies to leases of one year or less or indeterminate term, including month-to-month) for either party per the AG guide; the statute's 15-day notice-to-quit governs landlord termination. |
|---|---|
| Someone who was never a tenant (squatter / unauthorized occupant) | Since 2024, the Landlord and Tenant Act (including its notice-to-quit and eviction procedure) does not apply to a person who is not, and never has been, a tenant. A 'tenant' is defined as someone occupying another's premises with the owner's express or implied consent (e.g., oral or written lease or acceptance of rent by the owner/agent). So an owner is not required to use the landlord-tenant eviction process against an occupant who was never a tenant; the Act itself does not set out an alternative police-removal or affidavit procedure. |
Mistakes that get eviction cases dismissed — or get landlords sued
| Changing locks / shutting off utilities | Self-help eviction is prohibited: a landlord may not change locks or shut off utilities to evict; the landlord must use the court process. |
|---|---|
| Retaliation | No general statewide anti-retaliation statute. Limited protections: a lease may not be terminated or non-renewed because of participation in a tenants' association (§ 205); retaliation for exercising rights under the Utility Service Tenants Rights Act is prohibited (68 P.S. § 399.11). |
| Accepting rent after the notice | No statute — the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 has no rule on whether accepting rent after a notice to quit waives the notice. Courts decide this under common law. By statute, in a case based only on unpaid rent, the tenant can stop the eviction at any time before the writ of possession is carried out by paying the rent owed plus costs to the constable or sheriff. |
Federal rules that can change the process
- Servicemembers Civil Relief Act: eviction protection: A landlord may not evict a covered servicemember or their family during military service without a court order. When the servicemember's ability to pay is materially affected by service, the court must on request stay the case for 90 days or adjust the lease. Knowingly evicting without a court order is a federal misdemeanor. More
- VAWA housing protections: An applicant or tenant cannot be denied, evicted or cut off from assistance because they are or were a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking. The abuse cannot be treated as a serious lease violation by the victim. The landlord may 'bifurcate' (split) the lease to evict the abuser and keep the victim housed. Covered programs must also have an emergency transfer plan. A transfer is available on request if the tenant reasonably fears imminent harm, or if a sexual assault happened on the premises within the prior 90 days. More
- CARES Act 30-day notice to vacate (covered dwellings): The landlord of a covered dwelling may not require the tenant to leave until 30 days after giving a notice to vacate. The 120-day filing moratorium in the same section expired in July 2020, but the 30-day notice subsection has no expiration date in its text. More
- HUD 30-day nonpayment notice (public housing and project-based Section 8): Before filing an eviction for nonpayment, the landlord must give written notice at least 30 days in advance. The notice must itemize the rent owed by month, explain how to pay it off and by what date, and explain how to recertify income or request a hardship exemption. The notice cannot be served before the day after rent is due. If the tenant pays the amount owed within the 30 days, the landlord may not file the eviction. More
Pennsylvania eviction FAQ for landlords
How much notice does a landlord have to give to evict for unpaid rent in Pennsylvania?
10-day written notice to quit.
How much does it cost to evict a tenant in Pennsylvania?
Court fees are set locally — for example, Philadelphia County (Philadelphia): Landlord-tenant complaint: $94.75 (claims $0–$2,000), $116.75 ($2,000.01–$10,000), $138.75 (over $10,000), each including $27 for service on one defendant in Philadelphia; $45 per defendant for service elsewhere in Pennsylvania; $5.50 for each additional name (except husband and wife).
Can a landlord change the locks to evict a tenant in Pennsylvania?
Self-help eviction is prohibited: a landlord may not change locks or shut off utilities to evict; the landlord must use the court process.
How do you evict a tenant without a lease in Pennsylvania?
15 days' notice before the end of the term (applies to leases of one year or less or indeterminate term, including month-to-month) for either party per the AG guide; the statute's 15-day notice-to-quit governs landlord termination.
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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.