Attorney General Josh Shapiro reminds landlords that no PA resident can be evicted during the COVID-19 outbreak

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro wants to make it clear to landlords across the state: At this time, no Pennsylvania renters can be evicted from their homes during the COVID-19 state of emergency.

The state Supreme Court ordered courts closed to eviction proceedings during the outbreak, Shapiro said, and the order applies to all Pennsylvania property owners, managers, and landlords, as well as mortgage brokers and lenders. 

On Monday, Shapiro wrote landlords and mortgage lenders to urge them to extend the time during which eviction proceedings are suspended for a period of time beyond what the Supreme Court requires to give affected Pennsylvanians time to get back on their feet, his office said in a press release.

“With millions of Pennsylvanians following Governor Wolf’s direction to stay at home, it is critical that rental evictions cease for the duration of this emergency,” said Shapiro in his letter.

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“Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians have lost wages and jobs during this crisis and we will need time for businesses to reopen and for our economy to come back when the emergency is lifted. Stable housing is part of the foundation we need as a Commonwealth to fully recover.”

Shapiro's letter to landlords and lenders seeks to build on the Court's order to suspend evictions for a period of time after the lifting of the COVID-19 state of emergency, his office said.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered that renters and homeowners could not be evicted from their homes during the COVID19 pandemic. The Office of Attorney General is working to go beyond the existing state Supreme Court order and an existing federal order from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which prevents evictions and foreclosures on properties insured by the Federal Housing Administration.

If you believe that you have been wrongfully evicted from your home or wrongfully had your property foreclosed, you can file a complaint with the Office of Attorney General at https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/submit-a-complaint/.