Philadelphia’s Landlord-Tenant Office ceases eviction operations, faced with new license, insurance requirements

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Landlord Tenant Office, which carries the majority of evictions in the city, has ceased eviction operations. The office came under fire last year when two tenants, in separate incidents, were shot by deputies of the office serving evictions.

The move comes six weeks after the Angel Davis Eviction Accountability Act became law.

The law is named for one of two tenants shot by contracted deputies during eviction lockouts last year. It requires landlord-tenant officers and deputies to be licensed, and the office must have liability insurance covering $2 million per incident and $4 million yearly.

Davis was shot in the head when deputies attempted to lock her out of a North Philadelphia apartment complex in March 2023. She continues to recover from a traumatic brain injury.

A second woman, Latese Bethea, was shot in the leg during an eviction in Kensington in July 2023.

The incidents sparked protest and lawsuits and led to the new law.

The sheriff’s office is still able to serve evictions, albeit at a higher cost to landlords than is charged by the LTO.