Pennsylvania Rent Increase & Late Fee Laws

Pennsylvania rules on rent increases & late fees for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.

Short answer: No statewide rent control or rent-increase cap, and no statute that expressly bans local rent control. 53 Pa.C.S. § 2962(c)(2), (e), (f) (Home Rule Charter and Optional Plans Law)

The rules in Pennsylvania

Rent control / increase limits	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. Pennsylvania has no express rent-control preemption statute; the limit comes from § 2962(f), which bars home-rule municipalities from determining duties, responsibilities or requirements placed on businesses except as expressly provided by statute. Source: 53 Pa.C.S. § 2962(c)(2), (e), (f) (Home Rule Charter and Optional Plans Law)
Late fees	No statutory cap. AG guide: late fees 'should not be excessive' and should bear a reasonable relation to the landlord's costs (guidance, not a statutory limit). Source: None in statute

Rent control / increase limits

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.

Pennsylvania has no express rent-control preemption statute; the limit comes from § 2962(f), which bars home-rule municipalities from determining duties, responsibilities or requirements placed on businesses except as expressly provided by statute.

Source: 53 Pa.C.S. § 2962(c)(2), (e), (f) (Home Rule Charter and Optional Plans Law)

Late fees

No statutory cap.

AG guide: late fees 'should not be excessive' and should bear a reasonable relation to the landlord's costs (guidance, not a statutory limit).

Source: None in statute

Free calculators

Late Fee Checker — Check a late fee against your state's cap and grace period.
Rent Increase Calculator — In states with a statewide rent cap, see the most your rent can go up this year.

Pennsylvania vs. neighboring states

Rent Increases & Late Fees: Pennsylvania vs. neighboring states
State	Rent control / increase limits	Late fees
Pennsylvania	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. 53 Pa.C.S. § 2962(c)(2), (e), (f) (Home Rule Charter and Optional Plans Law)	No statutory cap. None in statute
Delaware	No rent control or rent-increase cap in the Residential Landlord-Tenant Code. Rent increases take effect at renewal with 60 days' written notice. 25 Del. C. §§ 5106, 5107	Capped at 5% of the monthly rent, and cannot be charged until rent is more than 5 days late. If the landlord has no office in the county where rent can be paid, the due date is extended 3 days. 25 Del. C. § 5501(d)
Maryland	No statewide rent control or statewide cap on rent increases. Local jurisdictions may adopt rent regulation (statewide preemption not found). Md. Office of the Attorney General, 'Landlords and Tenants: Tips on Avoiding Disputes' (Rev. Feb. 2025); DHCD Tenants' Bill of Rights (eff. Oct 1, 2026)	Capped at 5% of the amount of unpaid rent for the rental period. For weekly rent: no more than $3 per week, with a total of no more than $12 per month. No statutory grace period. Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-208(d)(3)
New Jersey	No statewide rent control and no state preemption. Municipalities may adopt rent control or rent leveling ordinances. Multiple dwellings built after 1987 are exempt from municipal limits on periodic increases for the period of the initial mortgage amortization or 30 years from completion, whichever is less. Without initial mortgage financing, the exemption is 30 years. N.J.S.A. 2A:42-84.2, 2A:42-84.5; municipal ordinances	No general statutory cap was found. Senior citizens receiving Social Security old-age, Railroad Retirement, or other government pensions, and recipients of SSDI, SSI, or Work First New Jersey benefits, get a 5-business-day grace period when rent is due on the 1st. No late charge may be imposed for that period. N.J.S.A. 2A:42-6.1 to -6.3
New York	Local rent control/stabilization allowed. Rent stabilization covers many NYC buildings and other localities that declare a housing emergency (allowed statewide since June 15, 2019). Good Cause Eviction Law (RPL Art. 6-A, 2024) applies automatically in NYC and in localities that opt in: rent increases above the 'local rent standard' (5% + regional CPI, capped at 10%) are presumed unreasonable and eviction/non-renewal requires good cause. N.Y. RPL §§ 211, 212, 213, 214, 216	Rent is not late until more than 5 days after the due date. Late fee capped at the lesser of $50 or 5% of monthly rent. N.Y. RPL § 238-a(2)
Ohio	Local rent control and rent stabilization are preempted statewide. Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.19(A)	No statutory cap No statute; Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.14 (unconscionable clauses)
West Virginia	No state rent control law. No enacted statewide preemption of local rent control was found in the code. W. Va. Code § 37-6-9 (current text contains no rent-control provision)	No statutory cap W. Va. Code ch. 37, art. 6

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