Lock Changes in Pennsylvania Rentals: What Landlords and Tenants Should Know

In Pennsylvania, the reason for changing a rental's locks matters. A lock change can be routine maintenance between tenants, a needed repair, or, in the wrong circumstances, part of an eviction the law does not allow. This guide pulls together what official Pennsylvania sources say.

This is general information, not legal advice. Laws change, and your lease and local ordinances also matter. If you have a dispute or a question about your own situation, talk with a lawyer or a legal aid office.

The rules that apply

Residential rentals in Pennsylvania are governed mainly by the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 (68 P.S. § 250.101 and following). The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General's Consumer Guide to Tenant and Landlord Rights explains the Act in plain language and also notes that Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have their own local rental rules on top of state law.

A landlord cannot change the locks to remove a tenant

The Attorney General's guide is direct on this point: landlord "self-help" eviction is prohibited. In practice, that means a landlord may not change a tenant's locks, or shut off utilities, to start or force an eviction. The landlord has to use the court process instead.

According to the Attorney General's guide and PALawHelp.org, that process generally looks like this:

1. The landlord gives the tenant a written notice to quit.
2. If the tenant does not leave, the landlord files a complaint, and a hearing is held, usually before a magisterial district judge.
3. If the landlord wins, the landlord still cannot remove the tenant personally. After waiting 10 days from the judgment, the landlord can ask the court for an order of possession.
4. A sheriff or certified constable serves that order, which gives the tenant 10 days to leave.
5. Only after that period can a tenant who remains be removed, and that is carried out by a constable or sheriff, not by the landlord.

Tenants also have appeal rights, and survivors of domestic violence have extra time to appeal. The guide and the court rules have the details.

For landlords, the practical takeaway: do not ask anyone to change the locks on a unit a tenant still lawfully occupies as a way to get them out. Once possession has been lawfully returned to you through the court process, securing the unit is a normal next step.

Philadelphia has its own protections

The City of Philadelphia's Fair Housing Commission explains that plugging, changing, or removing a lock to keep a tenant out is an illegal self-help eviction under Chapter 9-1600 of the Philadelphia Code. The city's guide says the Commission can order a tenant restored to the property and fine the landlord. If you own or rent in Philadelphia, read the city's guide alongside the state rules.

Changing locks between tenants

The Attorney General's guide does not list a statewide requirement to rekey or replace locks when one tenant moves out and another moves in. That does not make it unimportant. A departing tenant returns the keys they have, but nobody can be certain how many copies were made over the years, or who else a key was lent to.

A few related points from the guide are worth knowing:

• To get a security deposit refunded, a tenant must give the landlord a forwarding address and return the keys (68 P.S. § 250.512(e)).
• The guide's checklist for renters includes asking whether the door to the unit has a good lock and whether the building's doors and entrances are secured.

Many landlords handle turnover with lock rekeying, which changes the key that operates an existing lock so old keys no longer work. When hardware is worn, damaged, or simply not the right type for the door, lock replacement may make more sense. Your lease, your insurer, or local rules may also have something to say, so it is worth checking before the next tenant moves in.

Broken locks and habitability

Under Pennsylvania law, every residential lease includes an implied warranty of habitability, a point the Attorney General's guide traces to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's 1979 decision in Pugh v. Holmes. The guide lists broken locks on doors and windows as an example of an uninhabitable condition.

If you are a tenant with a broken lock:

• Tell your landlord in writing and keep a copy.
• Give the landlord a reasonable opportunity to fix it.
• Document the problem with photos and dates.
• Get legal advice before using a remedy such as repairing and deducting the cost, or withholding rent. The guide warns that using a remedy improperly could lead to eviction.

If you are a landlord, a lock repair or replacement keeps the unit secure and can help avoid a dispute.

Can a tenant change the locks?

Start with your lease. Leases often say whether a tenant may change or add locks and whether the landlord must get a key. If yours does, follow it, and talk with your landlord before any hardware is changed.

There is also pending legislation to watch. House Bill 72 of the 2025-2026 session would amend the Landlord and Tenant Act to address tenants' rights in cases of violence, including a new section allowing an eligible tenant with a reasonable fear for their safety to change or rekey the locks, subject to conditions. The General Assembly's website shows the bill passed the House on April 29, 2026 and was referred to the Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee on May 1, 2026. It is not law unless it is enacted, so check the bill's page for its current status. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

Planning lock work on a Pennsylvania rental

Whoever does the work will need to know that the request is authorized. Expect identity and authorization to be checked through the service process before any lock is changed:

• Landlords and property managers: photo ID plus proof of ownership or authority to manage the property, such as a deed, tax record, or management agreement.
• Tenants: photo ID, proof that you live at the address, such as your lease, and any landlord permission your lease requires.

It also helps to have the number of doors, the types of locks, photos of the hardware, and whether you want several doors to work with the same key. When you are ready, you can send the details through our Pennsylvania contact page, and the team will review the request and explain the quote before any work begins.