Pottstown Borough is appealing a Commonwealth Court ruling to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court after the lower court found that its use of administrative warrants to inspect rental properties violated the Pennsylvania Constitution. The case originated in 2017 when landlord Steve Camburn and his tenants, backed by the Institute for Justice, challenged the borough's inspection program after refusing entry. The Commonwealth Court ruled unanimously that the warrants were "at best based on general suspicions" and held that Pennsylvania's constitution offers stronger privacy protections than federal law. While the appeal suspends the lower court's ruling and keeps the current inspection program intact for now, the borough is also proposing an ordinance change as a fallback — allowing landlords to hire private, licensed inspectors to conduct inspections to borough standards when tenants refuse municipal entry, with the landlord bearing the cost and liability.
Source: Pottstown Mercury; 3/6/2026