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Amending Chapter 9-800 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Landlord and Tenant," to modify the requirements related to good cause for ending a tenancy, add protections against retaliation and harassment for tenants and tenant organizations, specify tenants' rights related to the implied warranty of habitability and provide a legal presumption related to breaches of the implied warranty of habitability, create a tenant right to organize, specify deadlines for asserting claims, and establish and enhance enforcement mechanisms, remedies, damages, and protections, all under certain terms and conditions.
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THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA HEREBY ORDAINS:
SECTION 1. Legislative Findings. Council finds that:
(1) A safe, habitable, and well-maintained home is a fundamental necessity for health, stability, and economic mobility. Yet, too many rental properties in Philadelphia fail to meet basic standards of habitability. Approximately 40% of Philadelphia rental homes need repairs and 30-45% of rental units operate without proper licensing, exposing tenants to unsafe, unfit, and imminently dangerous conditions.
(2) Philadelphia is trending toward a majority-renter city, with approximately half of all households currently renting their homes. More than half of these renters are cost-burdened, paying more than 30% of their income toward rent, which limits their ability to relocate when faced with unsafe or unstable housing conditions and increasing their vulnerability to exploitation.
(3) Existing enforcement mechanisms rely heavily on tenant complaints, placing the burden on tenants to identify, report, and pursue remedies for violations, often at personal risk. This reactive system allows serious code violations to persist undetected and unaddressed for extended periods. Furthermore, tenants consistently face retaliation for speaking out about unsafe conditions.
(4) Retaliation against tenants who assert the...
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