City Council on Thursday postponed its possible approval of contentious new renter protections, after a pair of landlords sued the legislative body on the eve of the anticipated final vote.
Lawmakers were expected to consider a pair of bills associated with Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke’s “Safe Healthy Homes Act.” The legislation would expand the city’s good cause eviction law and create a proactive inspection program for rental units, among many other provisions.
On Wednesday, members of the HAPCO Philadelphia, an organization that advocates for landlords, submitted a lawsuit alleging that Council violated Pennsylvania’s public meetings statute and the city’s governing document in its handling of a hearing earlier this month.
A judge asked the sides to meet at City Hall at 4 p.m. Wednesday to argue the motion; however, shortly before the emergency hearing, Council and the landlords reached an agreement.
Instead of holding a final vote Thursday, O’Rourke referred the bills back to Council’s housing committee, and the settlement stipulates that lawmakers must adhere to the state’s Sunshine Act and the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter if they wish to hold another hearing. Council did not admit to violating either law.
The move is a setback for the Safe Healthy Homes Act, which has been in the works for almost a year. However, unlike a potential adverse court ruling, it is unlikely to derail the legislation. A new hearing is scheduled for Monday, March 30, at noon.
O’Rourke, speaking at Thursday’s Council session, described the legal action as “a disrespect to the democratic process and to this institution.”
“It’s unquestionable who is acting in good faith here and who isn’t,” he said. “It’s the people whose safety is on the line, not those worried about their bottom line."
“Justice delayed is not justice denied,” Council President Kenyatta Johnson added.
Johnson was spotted chanting alongside members of One Pennsylvania Renters United and other tenant advocates who lined the fourth-floor hallway outside Council chambers prior to Thursday’s meeting.
He characterized the lawsuit as a “delay tactic.” Johnson told reporters that he expects the legislation will eventually pass.
The legal complaint was filed on behalf of Seth Floyd and Erica Hadley, who own a combined 32 rental properties in Philadelphia. Both came to a March 4 meeting of the housing committee to testify on the legislation.
Floyd and Hadley allege that Council members met behind closed doors prior to the hearing to agree on amendments that were not provided or explained to the public.
After hearing from representatives of Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration, several interest groups and expert witnesses, lawmakers voted the bills out of committee before taking public comment.
Typically, Council committees open it up to the public before making a decision, though they have been known to rearrange the schedule at times to ensure enough members are present to hold a preliminary vote.
By the time Hadley and Floyd were called to testify, only one Council person from the six-member committee was present, along with O’Rourke, who does not sit on the committee, according to the lawsuit. The feedback was “meaningless” because lawmakers already moved to advance the legislation, the complaint argues.
In the aftermath of the committee vote, two incensed landlords approached the rail and shouted at Council.
HAPCO, in a March 18 post on its website, said the Safe Healthy Homes bills would create “significant burdens on housing providers,” and, for small landlords, the measures “could make it extremely difficult to operate and remain in business.”
In addition to the good cause eviction extension and the proactive inspections initiative, O’Rourke’s bills would require landlords to notify tenants that they cannot collect rent if a property is deemed imminently dangerous or if they do not repair maintenance issues in a timely manner.
The legislation would also safeguard a renter’s right to organize with their neighbors or through a tenant advocacy group.
Both bills were extensively amended after being held during an initial hearing in June 2025. One component of the package that did gain approval last year created a fund to aid renters who need to move because a city inspection found their home could no longer be safely occupied.
