How do I obtain/renew a Housing Rental License?

How do I obtain/renew a Housing Rental License?
Go to eclipse.phila.gov, register an account or log in, and obtain or renew your license by following the headings. License numbers are six or seven digits long.

• A Housing Rental License is required for the following: multiple-family dwelling, rooming house, dormitory, condominium, or hotel, or offering for rent a one- or two-family dwelling or rooming unit. Each space rented in a property is considered a unit. Each unit in the property must be listed on the license at the time of application, as the fee is paid per unit in the property and not just the units actively rented.
• Vacant Property Licenses are required for vacant commercial and residential properties and lots.
• The fee is $63 per unit for residential properties and $185 for vacant properties or vacant lots. A new shopping cart feature in eCLIPSE is now ready. This allows customers to make payments on multiple licensees by consolidating them into a single transaction. A How-to Guide is already posted on the website on the ‘Help using eclipse’ page. After payment, licenses should be valid within 5 business days for new licenses or immediately for renewals, barring any other issues.
• A City of Philadelphia Business Tax Account (BIRT) and a Commercial Activity License (CAL) are required before applying for a Housing Rental License.
• Everyone listed on the deed must be listed on the business tax account and business license.
• If the property is an owner-occupied duplex, the owner does not need to obtain a Commercial Activity License (CAL) but is required to obtain a School Income Tax (SIT) from the Revenue Department and must only pay the fee for the one unit that is rented but still must claim two units. For the owner to qualify for this exemption, the owner's name must be the same on the title deed, the license application, and some independent verification which indicates that this is the owner's legal address (driver's license, current utility bill excluding water). This exemption is only valid for owner-occupied properties with 2-4 family dwellings. Although no CAL is required, you are still required to obtain a SIT (School Income Tax) from the Revenue Department.

Check here for a full list of items needed to rent a property.

Applications for new rental licenses and rental license renewals must identify the type of rental the property will be used for. The applicant may select from the following categories:

• Residential Dwellings
• Rooming House / Boarding House
• Hotel
• Assisted Living
• Dormitories
• Other. If "other" is selected, the applicant must enter text that specifies what is meant by "other".

To avoid delays in processing, please read the definitions carefully before making a selection in eCLIPSE.

• Agent qualifications: Agent must be a person over the age of eighteen (18) who lives in Philadelphia or is regularly available at a Philadelphia address.
• If the agent's address is a business address, a Commercial Activity License must be registered there.
• An agent terminating their services must give notice to L+I, License and Issuance Unit, and include in the notice the owner's name and address, the address of the property, and the license number. The owner is required to designate a new agent within thirty (30) days.
• The owner can designate an agent at any time by filling out an amended application with the signature of the agent. There is no additional charge for a change of agent.
• An owner who does not live in Philadelphia and is not regularly available at a Philadelphia address is not permitted to act as an agent.
• If the rental property was purchased within the last six months, you must provide a signed settlement sheet or recorded deed.
• For complete information and application, visit http://www.phila.gov/li/Pages/Licenses.aspx

• Certificate of Rental Suitability
• Rental Property Lead Certificate
• Bed Bug Control Plan
• Copy of “Partners in Good Housing”
• Lease

Interest and Penalties – A delinquency fee of 1.5% per month is charged to all licenses that are more than 60 days past due. Please renew your rental license (and other licenses) on time to avoid additional charges.

To renew your license, log on to your eCLIPSE account and submit your license renewal application. You can visit the L&I website to get help with eCLIPSE.

If you are no longer renting out the property, you must close your license by contacting the 311 Philly Help Center at www.phila.gov/311 or (215) 686-8686 .

RETURNED CHECKS: If your check is returned unpaid for insufficient or uncollected funds, (1) you authorize The City of Philadelphia or its agent to make a one-time electronic fund transfer from your account to collect a fee of $20 ; and (2) The City of Philadelphia or its agent may re-present your check electronically to your depository institution for payment.

A document to address the most frequently asked questions related to tax information or issues encountered during the license application or renewal process. This FAQ document is already posted on the website on the ‘Help using eclipse’ page.