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When should I call L&I?
If you have made your landlord aware of repair issues or other unsafe conditions in your home, and they have failed to fix them, you can call L&I to conduct an inspection of your unit. Before calling L&I, make sure to take the following steps:
- Notify your landlord of the repair issue in writing. This can be a text message, email, or a letter. If you speak with your landlord on the phone, be sure to follow up in writing. If they do not respond or don’t make the repairs, send another notice in writing.
- Document all repair issues. Take photographs and videos of any unsafe conditions in your home
.Send these photos and videos to your landlord when you ask for repairs.
If the repair is not complete after notifying your landlord in writing two times, you may contact L&I.
How do I request an L&I inspection
- Call 311.
- Submit a request online.
- Visit City Hall Room 167.
How does the L&I inspection process work?
It can take up to 3 weeks for L&I to inspect unless you request an emergency inspection for serious issues like no heat. An adult must be home at the time of inspection, and you may not get advance notice. of the inspection. Landlords generally have 35 days to resolve any violations. After 35 days, L+I should reinspect. If the property is still in violation, L&I should refer the case to the City Solicitor for court.
If you want to look up L&I violations, you can use the Philly Atlas website.
How will an L&I inspection help me?
In most cases, L&I inspections can help you:
- Prove there are repair issues in your rental property.
- Require your landlord to make repairs.
- If L&I issues code violations that say the property is either Unsafe, Unfit, or Imminently Dangerous, your landlord will be given a certain amount of time to make repairs. If your landlord does not make them by L&I’s deadline, your landlord must give you a copy of the notice of the violations (or post them) and cannot legally collect rent until the L&I violations are fixed.
What are the risks?
- Your landlord could retaliate against you for requesting repairs. If your landlord does retaliate against you, file a Fair Housing Commission complaint:
- In rare cases, if L&I inspects and determines that a rental property is over occupancy (zoning violation, such an unlicensed rooming house) or hazardous to human life (serious risk of fire or collapse), then L&I can move to Cease Operations at the property and force everyone to leave. If you receive a Cease Operations notice, you should call the Philly Tenant Hotline right away.
