Selling a Home in Philadelphia or on the Main Line: Disclosures, Inspections and Certifications

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By Max Karasick, Compass real estate agent licensed in PA and NJ

If you're selling a one to four unit home in Pennsylvania, you owe the buyer a signed property disclosure statement listing the material defects you know about, and it has to land before the agreement of sale is signed. Built before 1978? Add a federal lead paint disclosure. In Philadelphia you'll also need a Property Sales Certification from the City, and several Main Line townships want their own resale certificate or use and occupancy inspection before closing. Most of this takes lead time, which is why winter is when a spring sale really starts.

This guide is the paperwork and the inspections. Pricing, prep and launch strategy live in Selling Your Home Like a Campaign.

What Must a Pennsylvania Seller Disclose?

Anything you know is materially wrong with the house. Pennsylvania's Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law (68 Pa.C.S. Chapter 73) has you put it on a property disclosure statement. The law calls a material defect a problem that would have a significant adverse impact on the property's value or that involves an unreasonable risk to people on it. An old furnace near or past the end of its normal useful life isn't, by itself, a material defect. Old isn't the same as broken.

The State Real Estate Commission sets the minimum form, and the law spells out what it has to cover:

Your construction-related expertise and when you last lived in the home
Roof, basement and crawl spaces, structural problems, additions and remodeling
Termites, wood destroying insects, dry rot and pests
Water, sewage, plumbing, heating, air conditioning and electrical systems, plus appliances included in the sale
Soils, drainage, boundaries, sinkholes and storm water facilities
Hazardous substances, condominium or homeowners association matters and legal issues affecting title or use

Timing and Delivery

A signed and dated copy goes to the buyer before the agreement of sale is signed. The statute allows personal delivery, first class mail, certified mail or fax to the buyer or the buyer's agent. If something changes before closing and makes the statement wrong, you have to tell the buyer. A burst pipe in week three counts.

What the Law Does Not Require

You don't have to hire an inspector or go investigating to fill out the form. You do have to answer honestly: nothing you know is false or misleading, and no leaving off a defect you know about. A seller who willfully or negligently breaks the law can be on the hook for the buyer's actual damages, and the buyer has two years after closing to bring that claim. Honest and complete is cheaper.

Exemptions and Condos

Some transfers are exempt, including foreclosures, court ordered sales, transfers to a spouse, child, parent or grandchild and qualifying new construction. Condo and co-op sellers disclose only about their own unit. Common elements fall under the separate condo and co-op resale certificate rules, so if you're selling a condo, request the association's package early.

Lead-Based Paint Disclosure for Homes Built Before 1978

Under the federal rule run by EPA and HUD, the seller of a home built before 1978 has to:

Give the buyer the pamphlet Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home
Disclose any known lead-based paint or lead hazards, with location and condition
Hand over any available records or reports
Include a Lead Warning Statement in or attached to the agreement of sale
Give the buyer 10 days to do a lead inspection or risk assessment, unless both sides agree in writing to change it or the buyer waives it
Keep signed copies for three years after the sale

What Paperwork Does a Philadelphia Seller Need?

On top of the state disclosure and lead forms, two City items show up on almost every Philadelphia sale.

Property Sales Certification

The City says state law requires a Property Sales Certification to sell real estate in Philadelphia. It shows the zoning classification, the last established use in the zoning record and any uncorrected violations of the housing, building, safety and fire codes. As of October 2026, the City lists a $139 fee and five business days of processing, through an eCLIPSE account online or by appointment at the Permit and License Center. Order it early. Surprises are better found by you than by the buyer.

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Certification

The City's Partners in Good Housing handbook (2025 edition) says that when a one or two family home is sold, the seller has to certify in writing to the buyer that the required smoke and CO detectors are installed and working. The handbook also calls for smoke alarms powered by the home's electrical system or a sealed 10-year battery.

Two money items belong nearby: the Philadelphia transfer tax, and the assessment appeal process if the City's value looks off, since buyers will see the tax bill.

Do Main Line Townships Require a Resale Inspection?

Several do, and every township does it a little differently. Go by the township the house actually sits in, not the mailing address. Here's what each one says, as of October 2026:

Lower Merion: requires a Resale Certification before a sale. Its site lists the owner's certification of the building's use, sidewalks and curbs in good repair, an address visible from the street and smoke detectors in each bedroom and on every level.
Haverford: requires a Certificate of Use and Occupancy for resales, with the application filed at least 30 days before closing. The checklist covers house numbers at least 4 inches high, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, sump pumps and floor drains disconnected from the public sanitary sewer, backwater valves for fixtures below street level and cracked or uneven sidewalks and curbs.
Radnor: says Use and Occupancy Permits are required for resales and are handled by the Engineering Department. The inspection looks at house numbers, sidewalks and sewer connections. Buyer and seller also complete the township's Smoke Detector/Carbon Monoxide Certificate.
Tredyffrin: says a residential Use and Occupancy permit isn't required for changes in ownership or tenancy.

Sidewalks and curbs are where winter planning really pays off. Concrete work runs on the weather, and a failed inspection can push a closing date. For more on the area, see the Main Line guide.

Worked Example: Haverford Timing

Say a hypothetical Haverford sale goes under contract on April 1, 2027 with a closing date of May 15, 2027. Thirty days before May 15 is April 15, so the use and occupancy application has to be in by then. That's two weeks after signing. If the inspection flags a sidewalk section, the repair and reinspection have to fit before May 15 too. Knock out the obvious items in winter and most of that pressure disappears.

Winter Prep for a Spring Listing

Aiming for spring 2027? You can do most of the paper and inspection work between now and February:

Find the year built. Before 1978 means the lead disclosure applies.
Draft the disclosure statement. Pull receipts, permits and warranties for the roof, systems and any repairs.
Check the township. Read the resale or use and occupancy rules and fix house numbers, detectors and sump pump connections now.
Walk the sidewalk and curb. Get quotes in winter so the work is booked for the first workable weather.
In Philadelphia, order the Property Sales Certification. Clear any open violations it shows.
Test every smoke and CO detector. Yes, even the one in the hallway you can't reach.
Run the numbers. Start with a home valuation and a net proceeds estimate. If you have a large gain, read capital gains when selling a home in PA and NJ and talk with a tax professional.

How Max Uses This With Clients

Max starts a spring listing in winter with a document list. He confirms the year built and the township, pulls the current resale requirements and walks the property with you against that checklist. In Philadelphia he has you order the Property Sales Certification early so open violations surface before buyers see them. The disclosure form goes to you weeks ahead of launch, so it gets filled out carefully instead of the night before photos. Sellers can start on the sell page.

Official Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

What must a Pennsylvania seller disclose?

A Pennsylvania seller must disclose known material defects on a property disclosure statement that meets the State Real Estate Commission's requirements, delivered before the agreement of sale is signed. It covers the roof, structure, systems, water and sewage, pests, drainage, hazardous substances and title issues. Homes built before 1978 also need the federal lead-based paint disclosure.

Do Main Line townships require a resale inspection?

Several do, and the rules differ by township. Lower Merion requires a Resale Certification, Haverford requires a Certificate of Use and Occupancy filed at least 30 days before closing and Radnor requires a use and occupancy permit for resales. Tredyffrin says one isn't required for a change in ownership.

What paperwork does a Philadelphia seller need before listing?

A Philadelphia seller needs the Pennsylvania property disclosure statement, the lead-based paint disclosure for homes built before 1978 and the City's Property Sales Certification, which shows zoning and any open code violations. At sale, the seller of a one or two family home also certifies in writing that the required smoke and carbon monoxide detectors work.

What should a seller do in winter to list in spring?

Use the winter to draft the disclosure statement, gather permits and receipts, check the township's resale requirements and order any City certification. Get sidewalk and curb repairs quoted in winter too, so the work can happen in the first workable weather instead of holding up a spring closing date.

Can a Pennsylvania seller be liable for leaving something off the disclosure form?

Yes. A Pennsylvania seller who willfully or negligently violates the Seller Disclosure Law can be liable for the buyer's actual damages, and the buyer has two years after closing to file. A seller generally isn't liable for errors the seller didn't know about or that came from a public agency, inspector or licensed contractor.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Township rules change, so confirm current requirements with the township or the City. For disclosure questions, talk with a real estate attorney.

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