Philadelphia City Council is poised to expand tenant protections against retaliatory evictions and move toward proactive rental inspections under two bills in the Safe Healthy Homes Act introduced by Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke. The measures would extend the city’s “good cause” eviction protections to all renters, regardless of lease length, requiring landlords to provide a valid reason to terminate or not renew a lease. Advocates say the current exemption for leases longer than a year has allowed some landlords to retaliate against tenants who report unsafe conditions. About 90% of eviction filings last year involved leases of a year or more, according to data from Philadelphia Legal Assistance. The legislation would also authorize the city to create a proactive inspection program for rental units, rather than relying solely on complaints to the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections, and explicitly bar landlords from retaliating against tenants who cooperate with city investigations, speak with officials or reporters, or join tenant associations. HAPCO Philadelphia, the city’s largest advocacy group for landlords and property owners, opposes the proposed legislation. While members support their intent, they argue the bills will disproportionately harm them while doing little to deter bad actors. The bills are slated to come up for a final vote on Thursday, March 19.
Source: PlanPhilly; 3/4/2026