Retaliatory Eviction
Landlord & Tenant Act 205 — no ending a lease over a tenants' association
In Pennsylvania, the Landlord and Tenant Act protects one kind of tenant activity by name: no individual unit lease on residential property may be terminated or nonrenewed because a tenant, or a member of the tenant's family, participates in a tenants' organization or association.
Termination and nonrenewal both. The section reaches the end of the lease in either form, a termination during the term or a refusal to renew at its end, when the basis is participation in a tenants' organization or association.
| The assumption | What the law actually does |
|---|---|
| The assumptionA landlord can decline to renew a tenant who organizes other tenants | What the law actually doesNonrenewal on the basis of participation in a tenants' association is barred, the same as termination |
| The assumptionOnly the tenant's own activity counts | What the law actually doesParticipation by a member of the tenant's family is covered too |
Retaliation for complaints to code enforcement, utility shutoffs and local ordinances are not all on this page. What a particular situation carries is a question for a licensed Pennsylvania attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Landlord & Tenant Act 205 — Participation in tenants' association
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Pennsylvania attorney.