All Forum Posts by: Danielle Zamarelli

@Paul Lucenti, I had the same experience last year and I had to login to eclipse and provide a profit/loss sheet and pay them about $50. The situation was very similar to yours. I talked with L+I and the Tax Center and there was no way around it so I paid and moved on. Hope this helps!

Hi @Karim Elahi! I work closely with Abbie Dobbertin and the Deidre Quinn team at KW Philadelphia. Section 8 housing, you have to do a training with the Philadelphia Housing Authority, it's online and easy; I did it a few years ago. I hope this helps! Danielle

Quote from @Megan Sullivan:

Hey folks! 

Just starting out in my real estate journey. I'm looking for a savy, strategic, and helpful agent in the Philadelphia area - who would be a good fit for a first time investor. I currently live in Brooklyn, NY, but am looking for a rental property to invest in in the Philadelphia area. Any recommendation appreciated! 

 Hi Megan!

I use Abbie Dobbertin, KW Philadelphia, The Deidre Quinn Team - this is the info 

https://www.deidrequinn.com/me...

She is excellent, I love working with her and she has made my real estate investing very easy and helped me find some rare gems. 

Hope this helps!

@Chris Lin

I agree with @Nathan Gesner - it is relatively easy to make a virtual appointment with L & I - you can make the appointment online for a time that works for you and its basically a phone call where they will answer your question. In my experience, it is easier to renew the license than apply for the new one. To my knowledge, there is no fee for owner-occupied units. https://www.phila.gov/services...

Hope this is helpful and good luck!

Thank you to all who took the time to reply with this very helpful information! It is much appreciated. 

@James Randal - my tenants had difficulty setting up their accounts to pay through Zillow and continued to receive error messages. I also have a couple that wants to pay their portions of the rent separately and Zillow only allows for one person to make a payment. Given these factors, I am now trying Apartments.com. It was very quick and easy for myself and for them to set up and they like that they can schedule their monthly payments. So far, I am enjoying using it and it is serving my purposes for only a few doors.

Hello! I am investigating alternatives to online rent collection as I'm experiencing some glitches with Zillow Rental Manager. Do people have websites / apps they particularly like using? Thanks!

Hello Hussain,
It is my understanding that unless you live in the property yourself, a rental license is required in the city of Philadelphia. First, you will need to obtain a commercial activity license (CAL) and get a business tax ID number (BIRT). This can be done through the Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) on a website called eclipse. This will allow you to apply for the rental license through L&I through the same website, eclipse. You'll need to get the property inspected for lead by a certified lead inspector if it was built before 1978. The lead inspector will take samples, send them to a lab, and then provide you with the results within 7-10 days. You will have to upload the results to the Philadelphia DOH website. Once those results are sent in and you have applied for the rental license (you'll need to upload the deed or a settlement sheet for proof of ownership), they'll grant you the license. Once that is done, you can generate a certificate a rental suitability through eclipse which you are required to give to the tenants within 60 days of lease signing. You'll also want to provide them with information about partners in good housing, lead, and beg bugs.

This is a link to a website that has all the information for how to rent your property, what to provide to the tenants to be compliant, etc:
https://www.phila.gov/services...