Last year alone, more than 24,000 eviction cases were filed in Philadelphia. In these cases, 81 percent of landlords had legal representation. Approximately 8 percent of tenants were represented. Philadelphia does have statutory safeguards and processes that govern the eviction process; however, tenants must be aware of their rights and defenses in order to effectively navigate through landlord-tenant court. Because of a renewed interest in tenant rights in the city, this article will focus on the landlord-tenant process and representation of low-income individuals within landlord-tenant court.
The majority of tenants will face a landlord-tenant court action as pro se litigants. For many of these tenants, the failure to appear at the hearing results in default judgments in favor of the landlord. Education and community outreach can greatly reduce the number of default judgments, as simply advising a tenant of their rights can encourage them to participate in the process.
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