AP Tenants' Association Newsletter - 06/27/25
Hi everyone,
Announcements
Due to scheduling over the holiday we will not have our Monday meeting June 30th or July 7th. I am, however, happy to announce that I have received confirmation from Cade Underwood, the Director of Legislation and Policy in the office of Councilman Nicolas O’Rourke’s office that he is coming to meet with the Association on July 28th. Councilman O’Rourke’s office has been incredibly proactive advocating for tenants’ rights with much of the well-deserved thanks owed to Cade Underwood.
Prior to that meeting we will go over some legislation previously introduced by O’Rourke’s office. As well as what type of legislation has been beneficial to tenants in other cities and what we could hope for in our own city, both as renters and members of a tenants’ association.
Meeting Recap
Last meeting I had a presentation focusing on the legal obligations of your landlord and what you can do if those obligations are violated. For severe issues you may want to take more aggressive action like breaking your lease, withholding rent, or repairing and deducting.
We also went over how to ask the city to inspect your negligent landlord. For a landlord who refuses make necessary repairs or keep their buildings and grounds up to code we have the department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I). L&I can investigate maintenance complaints lobbied against properties in the city. From leaks to non-working utilities, lack of hot water or heat, unkempt weeds, all fire code violations and more. If found in violation L&I will require your landlord to fix the issue or be fined on a daily basis.
Speaking with Association members over the past few days it seems like the most common maintenance complaints are…
In violation of Philadelphia code PM-305.3
Water damaged wood in common areas
Water damage walls in units and common areas
Peeling/chipped paint and plaster in units and common areas
Missing or cracked panes in exterior/balcony doors
In violation of Philadelphia code PM-302.2 (Grading and drainage)
Stagnant water on grounds
In violation of Philadelphia code PM-403.2 (Bathrooms and toilet rooms)
Lack of ventilation/window in bathrooms (code requires all bathrooms to have either a window or working vent)
While you can simply describe the issue, adding a photo or using the exact code the issue is in violation of ensures fewer chances of miscommunication.
As always, if you have any questions or comments please reach out at info@aptenantsunited.org. I am always happy to answer questions.
Clause 31 of our lease details the exact steps you need to break your lease should you want to do so.
Please note: The address you want to put is 2961 W School House Ln. This is the address for the parcel plot Alden Park sits on. You can give further instructions for the exact location in the description box. If you put the address of your building 311 may close the request for having an invalid address.
311 also has a convenient phone app called “Philly 311”
Thanks!