Module 13 of 13 / Pennsylvania rules

Pennsylvania disclosures, communities and rentals

Bring property disclosures, contracts, housing protections and community or rental rules together.

Outline allocation: 6 of 40 scored questions. Reviewed October 15, 2026.

What you will learn

Apply seller disclosure timing and limits.
Recognize special cancellation and document rules.
Distinguish management authority and state housing protections.

Seller property disclosure

Pennsylvania’s Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law generally applies to covered transfers of residential property containing one to four dwelling units, with statutory exceptions. The seller delivers a signed, dated disclosure before an agreement of transfer is signed. The disclosure addresses known material defects; it does not require inventing knowledge or substitute for inspections. Sellers must not make false or misleading statements and must update disclosures when information becomes inaccurate before settlement as required. Licensees have their own duties concerning known information.

Work through an example

A seller learns of a new material roof leak after signing the first disclosure. The original form cannot simply remain uncorrected because it was accurate last month.

Remember: Known new material information may require an update before settlement.

Contracts and mandatory statements

Pennsylvania requires specified information in brokerage agreements and sales agreements. Services, compensation and relationship disclosures matter. Required zoning information has a statutory exception for property zoned solely or primarily for single-family dwellings; where the disclosure is required and omitted, the buyer may have a statutory right to void. Sales contracts also address possible highway occupancy permit requirements. Provide copies and use qualified legal help for unusual provisions instead of giving unauthorized legal advice.

Work through an example

A commercially zoned parcel should not be described as having the single-family zoning exception merely because a house currently sits on it.

Remember: The zoning classification and the present use are not interchangeable.

State housing protections

The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act supplies housing and commercial-property protections in addition to federal law. Protected categories include ancestry and age 40 and over, with the statute’s definitions and exceptions, as well as disability and protected guide or support-animal circumstances. Do not use demographic assumptions to choose neighborhoods, advertising audiences or applicants. Apply objective lawful standards consistently and evaluate accommodation requests. A local ordinance can add protections, so federal minimums are not the whole compliance analysis.

Work through an example

Rejecting an otherwise qualified 55-year-old applicant solely because of age raises a Pennsylvania protection that is not a standalone federal Fair Housing Act category.

Remember: Study the Pennsylvania list separately from the federal list.

Time-shares and common-interest communities

Under RELRA 609, covered time-share and campground purchasers have a nonwaivable cancellation right until midnight of the fifth day following execution, with notice and refund requirements. Do not substitute that rule for condominium or planned-community statutes: public-offering statements, resale certificates and cancellation rights depend on the governing transaction. A condominium buyer needs information about assessments, common expenses, reserves and restrictions; a unit inspection alone does not reveal the association’s financial obligations.

Work through an example

A condominium resale packet showing a pending special assessment can change the buyer’s costs even when the unit itself is in excellent condition.

Remember: Identify the transaction and governing statute before counting cancellation days.

Leasing and management authority

A management agreement should define the broker’s authority and the owner’s responsibilities. A Pennsylvania salesperson may assist in management only under the employing broker’s supervision and control; the salesperson may not independently negotiate lease terms or execute a lease for the lessor. Keep rental-management money separate as required and distinguish rent from security deposits. State landlord-tenant law, local requirements and the lease can all matter. A lease cannot be treated as permission for discrimination or unlawful self-help.

Work through an example

A salesperson handling showing appointments must refer an independently proposed lease-term change through the supervising broker’s authorized process.

Remember: Assisting a broker with management is different from running an independent management business.

Check your understanding

Close your notes and explain the rule in your own words. Change one fact in an example: does the answer change? Use topic practice in the study room, then return to any rule you missed.

Practice in the study room →

Sources and further reading

Supplemental study only. State rules and transaction details matter; consult the linked official sources for the complete requirements. This lesson provides no prelicensing credit.