Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading, Pennsylvania landlord software
Reading's Residential Rental Ordinance requires constant documentation.
RentMouse keeps leases, rent, maintenance, documents and tenant communication for your Reading 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 Reading
Neighbourhoods landlords here manage: Center City, College Heights, Schuylkill Avenue Corridor, Northmont, 11th & Rockland, South Reading.
The licence sits behind two other permits
In Reading a landlord's Business Privilege Licence is issued only after registering with the Codes and Zoning offices, with copies of the zoning permit and the housing permit attached to the application. The City administers rental and vacant permits and runs regular inspections enforcing its adoption of the International Property Maintenance Code, scheduled systematically rather than on request. Selling adds another step: a Certificate of Transfer is required for any property sold in the City, with a health and safety inspection that either party may arrange.
Local sources
Checked 2026-09-08. Confirm the current requirements for your address with the responsible authority.
- Housing Registration — City of Reading
- Codes, property maintenance and enforcement
- Landlord business privilege license application
Pennsylvania rules that apply in Reading
- 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.
Local requirements to verify
Notes carried over from our earlier Reading page. Confirm each one with the municipality before relying on it.
- Residential Rental License — Register every unit, pay annual fees, and store certificates.
What RentMouse does for Reading 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 · Bethlehem · Erie · Lancaster · Philadelphia · Pittsburgh · Scranton