PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — The cost of moving into an apartment in Philadelphia could go down for some. That’s under a new law that goes into effect on Tuesday. It’s called the Move-In Affordability Plan.<\/p>\n
Councilmember Rue Landau first proposed the new law. She hopes it makes it easier for people to move into apartments without spending thousands of dollars up front.<\/p>\n
The idea began to develop after Landau, a former tenant attorney, won the Philadelphia at-large council seat in 2023. As she was going into her new office at City Hall, Landau had a constituent waiting for her in the hallway.<\/p>\n
“There was a woman and two children standing outside,” Landau recalled. “They’d been in a homeless shelter and they said they were waiting for me to get to the office because they thought that I could help with their housing situation.”<\/p>\n
They were seeking help with an issue that’s a struggle for so many Philadelphians: the cost of getting into an apartment.<\/p>\n
“If a landlord is asking for first month’s, last month’s rent and a security deposit, you’re talking about $5,300 that you need just to move in,” said Landau.<\/p>\n
Some of those costs, though, will change as the Move-in Affordability law goes into effect. It aims to reduce the cost of apartment move-in fees. One part of the new law requires landlords to drop the cost of apartment applications.<\/p>\n
“There are landlords that are charging upwards of $200 per application,” said Landau.<\/p>\n
Under the new law, landlords can’t charge more than $50 per application. And that one application should be usable at multiple properties owned by the same person or company.<\/p>\n
It’s welcome news to organizations like Senior Law Center.<\/p>\n
“There is a huge lack of affordable housing for everybody in Philadelphia. But for older adults, it hits especially hard,” said Adam
Weintraub-Barth, Senior Law Center Director of Housing Justice.<\/p>\n
The 6abc Price Tracker showed that rent in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington Area stands at about $1,877 per month. That’s more than 4% and 10.7% higher than a decade ago.<\/p>\n
Oftentimes, before a person can even move in, landlords want the first month’s rent as well as a security deposit. Some also require a second security deposit, which could cost the same as another month of rent. Under the new law, landlords who charge more than one security deposit would have to let renters pay that second deposit in installments.<\/p>\n
“Most people can afford their monthly rent, but they just can’t afford that big amount that they have to pay in order to get in,” said Landau, adding that it can lead some people to stay in unsafe environments.<\/p>\n
The Move-in Affordability law takes effect as Mayor Cherelle Parker continues to push a $2 billion plan to create and preserve affordable housing. Landau says the initiatives can work together to remove barriers to safe, affordable housing.<\/p>\n
“This is one more step in making sure we’re making housing more affordable in Philadelphia,” she said.<\/p>\n
The new law is not retroactive. It only applies to new applications and rental agreements starting Tuesday. The city has been doing its best to notify landlords.<\/p>\n
Landau says any landlords who refuse to comply with the new law should be reported to the Fair Housing Commission.<\/p>\n
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