April 23, 2026
Michaela Althouse/PhillyVoice
City Council approved the final two bills in the Safe Healthy Homes Act on Thursday, which adds renter protections. Above, advocates of the legislation and the 'ICE Out' measure celebrate the votes.
Philadelphia will now have more protections for renters after City Council approved the final two pieces of legislation in the Safe Healthy Homes Act.
The package says landlords can't alter lease terms or refuse to rent to tenants who have previously reported violations or joined a tenant association. It also requires rental licenses to be shared with tenants or posted in public spaces, authorizes the city to create a proactive inspection and expands the "good cause" law, which prevents landlords from terminating leases or sending non-renewal notices without any reason.
Both bills passed with a 16-1 vote Thursday, with Councilmember Jeffery Young Jr. (D-5th) voting against the measures.
The package also includes a third bill, which established an anti-displacement fund for tenants who are forced to move because their home was deemed unsafe. That legislation was approved in June 2025.
Councilmember Nicolas O'Rourke introduced the bills in April 2025 and worked with landlords and tenant organizations on amendments and changes. However, HAPCO, the city's largest landlord advocacy group, opposes the act, claiming it will hurt small landlords, who own a limited number of properties.
"Actual small landlords who are complying with the law, they should have no fear that these bills, that will now be law, are going to make their life miserable," O'Rourke said following Thursday's meeting. "There are areas within city operations that we also have always agreed need to be much better, operating much more fluidly, that we will continue to be working on with those small landlords who are interested in advocating for that."
The legislation's approval was briefly delayed in March after two HAPCO members filed a lawsuit claiming that council members violated Pennsylvania's Sunshine Act, which requires the government to hold public meetings, by discussing amendments to the bills in private. The lawsuit has since moved to federal court.
"This fight continues as we take the next step to federal court, challenging the procedural violations and the legitimacy of the hearings," the organization wrote in a social media post Thursday. "Stay strong and stay engaged updates are coming within the next 30 days. We’re not done yet!"
During Thursday's meeting, the governing body also approved the "ICE Out" legislation, which offers additional protections for immigrants. Many supporters celebrated the approval of both measures, holding signs which read "ICE out, Safe Healthy Homes in."
