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Breaking a lease in Pennsylvania

Source: 68 P.S. § 250.501 (Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 § 501); 51 Pa.C.S. §§ 7315, 7315.1 · Checked against the statute

Tenant notice, month-to-month
15 days, ending with a rental period
Landlord must try to re-rent
No
State early-termination rights
Military service (state law)

When can I move out in Pennsylvania?

Choose your state, your situation and the date your landlord will receive notice.

Ending a month-to-month tenancy

If you are the tenant

  • The statute does not set a tenant's notice for a periodic lease. The Attorney General's tenant guide says a month-to-month (or year-to-year) tenancy renews automatically unless the tenant or landlord gives at least 15 days' notice before the current term (month or year) ends.

If the landlord ends it

  • A landlord who wants possession when a term ends must give written notice to quit; for a lease of one year or less or of indeterminate length, the notice must give the tenant 15 days from service to leave (68 P.S. § 250.501(a)-(b)). The Attorney General's guide says this means at least 15 days' notice before the current month ends.

Written notice required: Not stated. A landlord's notice to quit must be in writing and served personally, left at the main building, or posted on the premises (68 P.S. § 250.501(a), (f)). The statute does not say how a tenant must give notice; the lease controls.

Leaving a fixed-term lease early

There is no general right to end a lease early. A tenant who moves out early without a lease clause allowing it, and without a landlord breach, will likely owe rent until the lease ends or the unit is re-rented, and may forfeit the security deposit (PA Attorney General guide; 68 P.S. § 250.512(a)).

Landlord's duty to re-rent: No. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that a landlord whose tenant abandons in breach of the lease has no duty to mitigate damages (Stonehedge Square L.P. v. Movie Merchants, 715 A.2d 1082 (Pa. 1998)); that case involved a commercial lease. The Attorney General's 2022 tenant guide states the landlord has no obligation to find a new tenant. An older MidPenn Legal Services brochure (2010) says the opposite, so the residential rule is not settled by statute.

Lease-break fees: No statutory limit on early-termination or reletting fees; the lease controls.

When Pennsylvania law lets you leave early

  • Military service (state law) (51 Pa.C.S. § 7315)

    Pennsylvania National Guard members called to federal active duty or State active duty, and other reservists called to active duty, for 30+ consecutive days may cancel a residential lease without penalty.

    Proof:
    Written notice to the landlord (mail is allowed) at any time after active duty or State active duty begins; the lease must have been signed before that duty began.
    What you still owe:
    No cost or penalty. For monthly leases, termination is effective 30 days after the next rent due date after the notice; otherwise on the last day of the month after the month of notice. Advance rent is refunded.

  • Military service (state law) (51 Pa.C.S. § 7315.1)

    Servicemembers and full-time Pennsylvania National Guard members can end a housing lease with 30 days' written notice after qualifying orders or discharge.

    Notice:
    30 days, in writing
    Proof:
    Written notice effective at least 30 days after receipt, plus a copy of the orders or a commanding officer's letter before the termination date. Applies to permanent change of station orders, temporary duty orders over 3 months, honorable discharge/release, or orders to government quarters, for armed forces members and full-time PA National Guard members or technicians.
    What you still owe:
    Final rent is prorated to the termination date; advance rent is refunded within 30 days.

Military orders, every state: the federal SCRA lets servicemembers with orders (permanent change of station or deployment of 90+ days) end a lease with written notice and a copy of the orders. How the SCRA date is counted.

City and county rules

  • Philadelphia: Victims of domestic violence or sexual assault may end a lease early and get their security deposit back (Philadelphia Code § 9-804). Community Legal Services says the tenant sends a letter within 90 days of a reported incident giving 30 days' notice, with proof such as a police report, protection-from-abuse order, or letter from a health care professional, counselor or victim-services organization.
  • Philadelphia: For leases of less than one year (including those that convert to month-to-month), a landlord needs good cause to end or not renew, with at least 30 days' written notice stating the reason, delivered by hand or first-class mail with proof of mailing; otherwise the lease renews month to month (Fair Housing Commission).

Also good to know

  • Pennsylvania has no statewide statute letting domestic-violence victims end a lease early. HB 72 (2025-26), which would add one, passed the House and was referred to the Senate Urban Affairs & Housing Committee on May 1, 2026; it is not law.
  • A notice to quit for nonpayment of rent gives 10 days; for a lease of more than one year ending or breached, 30 days (68 P.S. § 250.501(b)).
  • Domestic-violence victims get 30 days (instead of 10) to appeal a residential eviction judgment (68 P.S. § 250.513).

Next steps

Sources

Laws change. This page was checked against the sources above on October 13, 2026. It is legal information, not legal advice; see our methodology.