WHEN YOU rent a house, apartment, or mobile home, you usually have to pay a security deposit to your landlord to cover possible damage to the premises or rent still owing when you move. This pamphlet describes your rights under a Pennsylvania law that limits how much a landlord can charge for a security deposit and states when and how the deposit should be returned to you, the tenant. The information in this brochure applies only to residential leases.

How much can my landlord charge as a security deposit?
The amount your landlord can charge as a security deposit depends on how long you have lived in your home.

First Year. During the first year you live in a place, your landlord can charge no more than two months' rent as a security deposit.

Second Year. After you have rented a place for more than one year, the landlord can charge no more than one month's rent as a security deposit. If your landlord charged more than that when you moved in, then your landlord must return everything above that amount.

If you have lived in a place more than two years and your deposit was more than $100, your landlord must put your deposit in a bank account which earns interest. Your landlord must give you a written statement of the amount deposited and the name and address of the bank. At the end of the third year of your lease, and each year after that, you get the interest, minus 1% to cover the landlord's expenses. For example, if the security deposit is $500 and it earns 5% interest, you would get 4% of the $500, or $20 each year, and your landlord would get 1% of the $500, or $5. A landlord, instead of paying interest or putting the money into an escrow account, may issue you a bond that guarantees that your money will come back to you at the end of the tenancy, with interest, minus damages.

If your rent goes up, your landlord can raise your security deposit, within the limits discussed above. However, after you've lived in a place for five years or more, the landlord cannot raise the amount of your security deposit, even if your rent goes up.

Washington, D.C. - The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) released a new research brief titled, “Beyond Eviction: Landlords as Essential Partners in Housing Stability.” It explores critical factors in eviction cases—including economic realities, timing and long-term consequences of eviction records—and the impact of these factors on both landlords and tenants.

Landlords provide a critical resource: over 45 million U.S. households are renters, making up one-third of all occupied residences. Drawing on research, case examples and promising practices, this new brief illustrates how collaboration with civil legal aid and other community partners helps landlords avoid eviction, preserve rental income and strengthen their communities in the process.

Key takeaways of this brief include:

Most eviction filings involve rent-burdened households—people paying over 30% of their income toward housing. More than one-quarter of all rental units in the U.S. are owned by small, “mom-and-pop” landlords who often rely on timely rent to cover expenses. These factors together create a fragile balance.
Despite common perceptions, eviction proceedings rarely result in landlords recovering all rent owed. In fact, filing for eviction is likely to lead to prolonged income loss, greater administrative burdens and additional costs for future tenants.

By working together, landlords and legal aid providers can reduce financial losses, improve stability for all parties and minimize the costs and disruptions of eviction.
When a case does end up in eviction court, legal representation for tenants benefits both parties, as well as the court system. Legal counsel helps to streamline the process, leading to quicker resolutions where all parties understand their obligations.
The brief also highlights partnership strategies that are helping landlords and civil legal aid collaborate to create less contentious paths to stable revenue and build healthier communities. These efforts include things like providing pre-filing notices, rental assistance programs, and eviction diversion and prevention programs.

Harrisburg, PA - The Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Office of State Inspector General (OSIG) today are reminding Pennsylvanians who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to change their EBT card PINs ahead of their monthly SNAP benefit distribution. This reminder is extremely timely, as thieves often strike right after a monthly benefits payment is made.

The reminder comes amid nationwide instances of SNAP theft, especially reports of card skimming, where SNAP benefits are stolen off EBT cards after skimming at a point-of-sale machine. But the actual theft of benefits rarely happens right away – thieves often hold on to stolen EBT card information until monthly distributions occur, when larger amounts of benefits can be stolen.

“We are constantly working to ensure that the benefits DHS administers stay with the Pennsylvanians who need them. The Department of Human Services is aware of skimming incidents that have been targeting SNAP recipients – card skimming and SNAP theft have been issues nationwide,” said DHS Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh. “Do not become a victim of this crime. Make sure you change your PIN every month, and when you swipe your EBT card at a card reader, please make sure a skimming device is not attached.”

DHS refers suspected cases of SNAP theft to OSIG to further investigate.