City Council urges state to seal most old eviction records with ‘Ready to Rent’ resolution

Philadelphia City Council on April 24 adopted a resolution urging the Pennsylvania General Assembly to pass the Ready to Rent Act, a measure that would automatically seal most eviction records and remove a longstanding barrier to housing for many renters.

The resolution calls attention to data cited by witnesses and advocates who said thousands of Pennsylvanians are denied housing because eviction filings — including cases where tenants prevailed — remain visible to landlords and background-check firms. Representative Ismael Smith Wade L, who testified during the public-comment period, said the bill would treat eviction records like other adverse financial records that fall off reports after seven years.

Community Legal Services attorney Holly Beck told council that Philadelphia has been a national leader on eviction prevention through city programs such as the Eviction Diversion Program and Right to Counsel, but that about 14,000 eviction cases still are filed each year in Philadelphia. “There are still 14,000 eviction cases every year in Philadelphia and more than 357,000 eviction cases across the state since 2020,” Beck said during public comment.

Council member Roulaandau (Rue Landau) sponsored the resolution; the chair of council, on Landau’s behalf, moved adoption. The motion was seconded and the chamber adopted the resolution by voice vote.

Why it matters: Advocates said sealing older eviction records would expand access to housing and reduce homelessness by preventing landlords and screening companies from automatically rejecting applicants for past filings. Supporters urged the General Assembly to pass the bill so that sealed records stop functioning as a near-permanent barrier to stable housing for people who have experienced eviction filings years earlier.

The resolution asks the state legislature to adopt the Ready to Rent Act; it does not itself change local law.

Votes at the meeting: the resolution was adopted by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.

Next steps: The resolution is a formal request to state lawmakers in Harrisburg. Passage of the policy would require the General Assembly to approve the Ready to Rent Act and the governor to sign it into law.

Speakers who addressed council on this item included Representative Ismael Smith Wade L and attorneys from Community Legal Services; council moved the resolution on behalf of Council member Rue Landau.