Pennsylvania Landlord/Tenant Complaint (Magisterial District Court) - Preparation Worksheet

LANDLORD/TENANT COMPLAINT PREPARATION WORKSHEET

FOR TRANSFER TO CURRENT AOPC FORM 310A

DO NOT FILE THIS WORKSHEET AS THE COMPLAINT. Obtain the current official form from the Unified Judicial System or filing court. Do not change the official form's content or format.

I. FORUM AND FILING GATES

☐ The premises are outside Philadelphia and the selected filing office is the magisterial district court with proper venue.

☐ If the premises are in Philadelphia, stop using this worksheet and obtain Philadelphia Municipal Court counsel, forms, and procedures.

☐ The filing party is the landlord or authorized agent for the landlord.

☐ Counsel confirmed jurisdiction under 42 Pa.C.S. § 1515(a)(2) and the current rules.

☐ Counsel checked bankruptcy, federal or subsidized-housing rules, fair-housing and retaliation issues, licensing, local law, and all other filing gates.

Selected magisterial district: [NUMBER / JUDGE / ADDRESS]

County: [COUNTY]

II. PARTIES AND PROPERTY

Landlord / Plaintiff

Full legal name: [NAME]

Address: [ADDRESS]

Capacity: ☐ Owner ☐ Authorized agent

Agent authority record: [MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT / OTHER]

Tenant / Defendant

List each individual or entity to be named. Do not use “all occupants” as a substitute for counsel's party analysis.

Real Property

Location and full address: [STREET, UNIT, CITY, COUNTY, PA ZIP]

Lease: ☐ Written, attached ☐ Oral ☐ Other: [DETAILS]

Lease parties and date: [DETAILS]

Residential or nonresidential: [TYPE]

Monthly rent: $[AMOUNT]

Security deposit stated on official form: $[AMOUNT]

III. NOTICE-TO-QUIT ANALYSIS

Rule 503 requires the official complaint to state either that notice to remove was given in accordance with law or that the lease required no notice.

☐ Notice given. Counsel confirmed the applicable period under 68 P.S. § 250.501 and service by at least one method listed in subsection (f):

• ☐ Personally served on Tenant.
• ☐ Left at the principal building on the premises.
• ☐ Posted conspicuously on the leased premises.

Notice date, service date, deadline, and proof: [DETAILS]

☐ No notice required under the lease. Identify the exact lease provision and counsel's enforceability analysis: [DETAILS]

Do not select mail, certified mail, or delivery to another household member as the sole § 250.501(f) service method.

IV. SELECT ONE POSSESSION GROUND

Rule 503 requires the complaint to allege one or more supported grounds. Select only what the facts and lease support.

☐ Term ended. The lease or rental term fully ended on [MM/DD/YYYY].

☐ Forfeiture for lease breach. Identify the lease condition and specific facts:

[LEASE SECTION, CONDUCT, DATES, AND LOCATION]

☐ Rent remained unsatisfied after demand. Complete the rent ledger below.

Tenant continues to retain the property and refuses to give up possession: ☐ Yes

V. AMOUNTS FOR THE OFFICIAL FORM

Do not combine categories. Attach the ledger or supporting calculation if permitted or required.

Do not allege that the security deposit is being held “in accordance with law” unless counsel has independently verified that fact. Do not net the deposit against rent or damages without a supported legal and accounting basis.

VI. RULE 503 MILITARY-STATUS AFFIDAVIT

Rule 503 requires a written affidavit for every individual tenant stating that the tenant is in military service, is not in military service, or that the landlord cannot determine the tenant's status.

Use the current court-prescribed affidavit and preserve the inquiry record. This worksheet does not make a military-status determination.

VII. PHILADELPHIA STOP GATE

If the premises are in Philadelphia, do not transfer this worksheet to the MDJ form.

Philadelphia counsel must determine the correct Municipal Court form and whether Phila. Code § 9-804 requires a good-cause notice and challenge process. Counsel must also confirm whether the City's mandatory pre-filing Eviction Diversion Program is operating and applies. When mandatory, § 9-811 generally requires enrollment, the City's Notice of Diversion Rights, and at least 30 days of reasonable-good-faith participation before filing, subject to its fact-specific imminent-harm exception.

VIII. RULE 503 VERIFICATION TEXT

Transfer the current prescribed verification to the official form without changing its content:

The facts set forth in this complaint are true and correct to the best of my knowledge, information and belief. This statement is made subject to the penalties of 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904 relating to unsworn falsification to authorities.

Signer authorized for the landlord: [NAME / CAPACITY]

Signature and date on official form: [DETAILS]

IX. FINAL ASSEMBLY CHECK

☐ Current AOPC Form 310A obtained from the court or UJS forms page.

☐ No content or formatting changes made to the official form.

☐ Every required Rule 503 allegation transferred accurately.

☐ Current military-status affidavit attached for every individual tenant.

☐ Notice and proof retained or attached as the filing court requires.

☐ Lease, ledger, damage records, agent authority, and local-program records reviewed for filing requirements and confidential information.

☐ Filing costs, service costs, hearing date, and tenant notice will be supplied through the court's current process rather than guessed in this worksheet.

CURRENT OFFICIAL SOURCES

• 42 Pa.C.S. § 1515 — Jurisdiction and venue
• Pennsylvania General Assembly — Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, current official text
• 246 Pa. Code Rule 503 — Form of Complaint
• Unified Judicial System — current public forms page
• Current UJS Landlord/Tenant Complaint PDF (AOPC 310A)
• Philadelphia Code § 9-804 — Unfair Rental Practices
• Philadelphia Code § 9-811 — Eviction Diversion Program