除了根据可居住性默示保证提供的救济之外, in certain localities The 宾夕法尼亚州房租扣缴法 provides assistance to tenants living in substandard housing.
Once the leased premises have been inspected and declared unfit by the local housing code enforcement officer, 租客可以将租金存入特定的银行, 认可的托管代理, 而不是付给房东. 这些付款将持续六个月. 六个月后到期, 如果房屋仍然不合适, 预付的租金退还给租客. 接下来的六个月,租金可能会被扣缴. 除了, 承租人的租约, 无论是口头还是书面, 延长到不适合的称号被取消. A tenant may not be evicted for any reason while he or she continues to make timely rental payments to the escrow agent. The tenant is also permitted to withdraw money from the account to make repairs or to pay utilities which the landlord has wrongfully failed to pay.
如果房东在六个月的扣缴期限内修理或纠正了缺陷, 租金将交给房东.
以确定租金扣缴法是否适用于你的地区, 您应该联系当地政府办公室或代码执行官员. 即使该法案不适用, tenants may be better assisted by the more flexible remedies under the implied warranty of habitability. 在采取任何补救措施之前,都应征求律师的意见. 房租扣缴法只适用于某些等级的城市.
驱逐
Your landlord may evict you if the term of your lease has expired and you have failed to move; if you have failed to pay the rent; or if you have broken one or more of the major lease provisions. 你的房东可能不会在法律上强迫你立即搬家, 把你锁在门外, 关掉你的公用设施, 或者不合理地进入你的房屋. 他或她也不能合法地威胁或骚扰你. However, in 1995, a new bill passed the state legislature which revised the Landlord/Tenant Act. 新法律规定,如果租期不足一年, 或者一段不确定的时间, 实施有关驱逐程序的新条件.
In 宾西法尼亚, a landlord must follow certain required legal procedures before you can be evicted. 首先,房东必须向你提供书面通知,让你搬出房屋. This notice is only effective if it is hand delivered or posted on the premises in which you live. 仅仅邮寄通知是不够的.
注:法律要求的提前通知可能会因你的租约而被放弃或减少. 这种弃权一般被认为是有效的. 如果你的租约有效地放弃了通知, 你的房东可以马上把你告上法庭, 无须事先通知.
因为大多数学生的租期都不到一年, 在租约到期的情况下, 或者因违反条件而被没收, 您只有五(5)天的时间搬出房产. 在没有支付租金的情况下, 您也只有五(5)天的时间迁出该物业. The same time period is in effect if you have committed a breach of the lease through the use of illegal drugs.
房东可以向地方法官提出申诉. The Magisterial District Judge will issue a summons to you to appear within five (5) to eight (8) days to answer the complaint. 这张传票将由警官或治安官交给作为被告房客的你, 要么亲自去, 第一类邮件, 或者在场地上贴告示.
不要忽视这个投诉. 如果你什么都不做, the Magisterial District Judge will enter a judgment (or decision) in favor of the landlord for whatever money has been claimed, 加成本. 这一判决也将允许房东最终占有该房屋. 如果可能的话,去找律师. 在宾夕法尼亚州的大部分地区, legal service organizations provide free representation for low-income persons who are facing an eviction. 您当地的黄页或法院管理员可以帮助您找到他们. 如果您不符合资格或无法访问此类服务, 拨打宾夕法尼亚州律师推荐服务的免费电话:1-800-692-7375. 他们会帮助你找到一个律师,他会以非常低的初始成本为你提供建议, 哪些可以帮助你保护自己的权利.
在听证会上, 如果房东的情况属实, the Magisterial District Judge will require you to vacate the property; pay any 损害赔偿 for refusing to vacate the property; pay any back rent which is due the landlord; pay the costs of the legal proceedings and; pay any other expenses including reasonable attorney fees. 如发现投诉无合理因由, 案件将被驳回,诉讼费用将由房东承担.
在听证会前的任何时间, 你可以联系裁判区法官向房东提出你自己的索赔. 这被称为反诉或交叉诉讼. You should file a counterclaim if the premises had serious defects such as faulty plumbing or heating, 漏水的屋顶, 缺少热水, 昆虫或啮齿动物侵扰, 或者其他对你健康和安全的威胁. 如果你已经要求业主修理或纠正这些缺陷, 他没有做到这一点, 或者行动迟缓, 你可以减少你所欠的租金或收回一些你已经支付的租金. 如果房东把你拒之门外,你也应该考虑提出反诉, 切断你的公用事业, 或者在他/她试图强迫你搬家时伤害了你的健康或财产.
即使你没有理由提出反诉, you will need to appear and defend yourself if the landlord is claiming more than you owe or if you have not breached the lease. 通知裁判区法官你将出席聆讯. 通过出席听证会, you may be able to settle your differences with the landlord or work out a repayment arrangement for back rent or legal costs.
The new law allows for a landlord to request a writ of possession five (5) days after the Magisterial District Judge’s judgment. 由警员或治安官亲自交给你, 占有令状, 或者把令状贴在房屋上. 如果占有令状仅仅是为了不支付租金, then you may stop the eviction at any point before the sheriff puts you out by paying the full rent and costs to the landlord.
在听证会后十(10)天内, the constable or sheriff is required to return the writ to the Magisterial District Judge and indicate when and how the writ was served; if you have satisfied the conditions of the writ by vacating the property or paying the landlord rent and costs; if you were forcibly evicted; and if any expenses and/or fees were incurred, 以及你如何偿还市政府下令驱逐的费用.
Either party may appeal the Magisterial District Judge’s action to the County Court of Common Pleas within ten (10) days of the judgment. 为了让你提起上诉, 你必须支付所有到期的租金和任何相关费用, 如果原判维持原判. 上诉不得取代原有的管有令状, 除非获得法院的特别许可.
在你被赶出去之前,最好把房子腾空. 如果你继续住在这里,无法支付租金, 损害赔偿, 还有法律费用, 警官或警长就会把你带走, 把你锁在门外 and seize all of your possessions other than clothing and selected personal property. Your landlord can then request that enough of your possessions be sold to pay him or her the money owed.
晚搬出去
在预定日期之后搬出去可能会引起几个不同的问题. 第一个, 如果你是按月口头租赁,每月中旬就搬出去, 你要付一个月的房租. 许多学生错误地认为,如果他们在月中离开出租单位, 他们只欠半个月的房租. One the contrary, if you hold over into a new rental-period, you must pay rent for the full-period.
其次, if you have a written lease for a definite period of time (such as one year) and you hold over past the termination date, 你可能无意中续签了一个完整的租期.The third possible difficulty arising from moving out too late is an eviction action to force you out of the premises and to collect any 损害赔偿 the landlord sustained as a result of your refusal to move out. 驱逐 is not a threat if your lease contains a clause authorizing you to renew it by “holding over” past the termination date.
收回保证金
The most essential step for you to take when you move out is to give your landlord written notice of your new address. 你应该在搬出去之前做这件事. 如果你不知道你的新地址是什么, 告诉房东一个可以帮你收邮件的朋友或亲戚的名字. 你应该用挂号信寄这个通知, 要求回执, 这样你就能证明你的房东收到了它. 你也应该像往常一样,保留一份副本.
如果你采取这个简单的步骤, your landlord must provide you with a written list of 损害赔偿 and return your security deposit, 减去索赔金额, 30天内. 他或她是否不应在30天内提供书面的损害赔偿清单, the landlord forfeits the right to keep any of your deposit as well as the right to sue you for any 损害赔偿 to the premises. 除了, if your landlord does not return the differences between your deposit and the actual 损害赔偿 to the premises 30天内, you have the right to sue him or her for double the difference between your deposit and any 损害赔偿 you actually caused. These protections are only available to tenants who can prove that they have given their new address in writing. 即使您在终止上次租赁时没有给予书面通知, 房东仍然有法律义务退还你的保证金, 减去房屋损失的价值.
如果你在收回保证金方面有困难, it is possible to bring legal action yourself in the Magisterial District Judge’s Court for a fairly small fee.