Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania landlord software
Serve Lehigh University and Moravian students with confidence.
RentMouse keeps leases, rent, maintenance, documents and tenant communication for your Bethlehem rentals in one workspace, with lease guidance linked to Pennsylvania jurisdiction records. Review the applicable sources before relying on a draft.
Start free · Pennsylvania rules and sources
Renting in Bethlehem
Neighbourhoods landlords here manage: Historic Moravian District, South Bethlehem, West Bethlehem, North Bethlehem, Lehigh University Area, Bethlehem Township.
How many unrelated people live there changes the inspection cycle
Bethlehem licenses residential rental units annually under Article 1738 of its codified ordinances, with an inspection every three years. Article 1739 then defines a Regulated Rental Unit as one occupied by three to five unrelated persons, and those units are inspected every year rather than every third. So the same house can move between cycles depending on who is living in it, which makes the occupancy you actually let, not the one on the original licence, the thing to keep track of.
Local sources
Checked 2026-09-08. Confirm the current requirements for your address with the responsible authority.
- Rental Licensing — City of Bethlehem Housing Inspections
- Article 1738 — Residential Rental Units
- Article 1739 — Regulated Rental Unit Occupancy
Pennsylvania rules that apply in Bethlehem
- Security deposit limit
- 2 months' rent in year 1; 1 month after; no increase after 5 years
- Deposit return / claim rule
- 30 days
- Deposit interest
- Deposits over $100 in escrow from year 3; interest paid less 1% fee
- Notice before entry
- No state statute; the lease controls entry
- Ending a month-to-month
- 15 days if term under 1 year; 30 days if 1 year or more (250.501)
- Notice before a rent increase
- No state statute; check the lease and local ordinances
- Late fees
- No statutory cap; fee must be reasonable and stated in the lease
- Rent control
- No statewide rent control; local ordinances allowed, so check the city
General information from Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, 68 P.S. 250.101 et seq., last reviewed 2026-08-21; not legal advice. Municipal bylaws can add requirements. Sources are listed on the Pennsylvania guide.
What RentMouse does for Bethlehem landlords
- Properties & units — Each building and suite in one portfolio view, with occupancy, unit details and photos.
- Tenants & leases — Tenant records and lease terms attached to the right unit, with renewals surfaced before they arrive.
- Rent tracking — Monthly invoices, recorded payments, balances, overdue flags and reminders. Tenants keep paying you the way they already do.
- Maintenance — Requests with photos, priorities, vendors, dates and costs linked to the unit.
- Documents & e-signing — Jurisdiction-aware lease drafts from guided templates, sent for electronic signature and filed with the tenancy.
- Tenant portal — Optional, free for tenants: their tenancy details, invoices, shared documents and maintenance requests.
- Landlord website — A branded page at rentmouse.com/your-business that advertises vacant units, collects rental inquiries and doubles as the tenant sign-in.
Other Pennsylvania cities
Allentown · Erie · Lancaster · Philadelphia · Pittsburgh · Reading · Scranton