Courts would limit public access to older Pennsylvania eviction records

Courts would keep covered eviction files out of public access. The rules would cover Pennsylvania eviction cases under the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951. Courts could give access to case parties and their lawyers, documented residents, and people with a court order showing good cause. Other exceptions would cover specified legal work and access approved by the court with the case parties' written consent. Nonprofits and schools could obtain files solely for noncommercial research, without sharing files outside their organization or publishing tenant names. The seven-year period would run from the date the eviction case was filed.

County courts could restrict access at a tenant's request or on their own. The county court where the case was heard could restrict its records and the local magisterial district court's records. A court would have to undo an order entered in error if someone requested review and the other party received notice and a chance to be heard.

Screening services could not report restricted eviction files or use them in scores or recommendations. Regular information suppliers would have to stop sharing information they know or reasonably should know is restricted and notify reporting agencies. Tenants and residents could still share information. Disclosures solely to collect a court-ordered debt would remain allowed. People could answer questions as though restricted files did not exist, unless federal law required disclosure. Tenants could sue for compliance and recover up to the smaller of two months' rent or $5,000, plus reasonable lawyer fees. Agreements could not waive these protections. These rules would apply to files placed under restricted access on or after this provision's effective date.

Court offices would regularly identify eligible records and issue orders restricting access. Local court offices would identify eligible files monthly. County courts would issue access orders within 20 days. The state court office would notify regular court-record collectors quarterly about restricted files it could access. That notice requirement would not require the office to provide or update information for cases appealed to a county court. The act would take effect 180 days after enactment. The 365-day deadline would cover records eligible on that effective date.