Landlords' Non-Delegable Duties: Tenant Rights Exposed This podcast episode from The Tenant Justice Lab, hosted by Law Advocate, delivers a sharp, authoritative breakdown of landlords' non-delegable legal duties. Covering Pennsylvania law, Philadelphia codes, domestic violence standards, and retaliation, it exposes common landlord excuses and clarifies tenant protections through an 80-question rapid-fire Q&A. The episode empowers tenants to recognize and assert their rights against neglect, retaliation, and fraudulent claims. podcast link: https://cdn.notegpt.io/notegpt/web3in1/podcast/podcast_1ada7c96-477a-43b5-b0b0-acfabde54eee-1771181076.mp3 1. Landlords’ Non-Delegable Duties: What It Really Means 1.1. Insightful Speaker: Let’s kick things off with that ironclad rule from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court: a landlord’s duty to provide safe, habitable housing is non-waivable and non-delegable. Basically, they can’t shrug off responsibility, no matter what. 1.2. Compelling Lady: That’s the piece renters often don’t hear about. Even if the lease tries to shift repairs to the tenant, or the landlord acts like it’s someone else’s mess—maybe the weather, maybe your ex, maybe even the police—legally, it doesn’t fly. That duty never leaves the landlord’s shoulders. 1.3. Insightful Speaker: Exactly, and what’s wild is how many landlords still try that old: 'That’s your problem.' But the law’s crystal clear—if the roof collapses, if there’s a break-in, if wildlife gets into your apartment, none of that can just be dumped on the tenant. 1.4. Compelling Lady: I’ve seen situations where tenants are told to handle major repairs or even safety threats on their own. The Supreme Court made it clear: the landlord can’t dodge by saying, 'I didn’t know,' or by blaming anyone else. Their duty is locked in by law. 2. Breaking Down the Philadelphia Property Maintenance Code 2.1. Insightful Speaker: Shifting gears a bit, let’s talk about the Philadelphia Property Maintenance Code. It’s not just a pile of legal jargon—it’s packed with requirements that put the heat on landlords. 2.2. Compelling Lady: For example, PM-304.2 says there can’t be exposed sheetrock, and PM-304.18 requires all doors to be secure. And that’s not up for debate; the owner has to comply. They can’t make the tenant responsible for these code violations. 2.3. Insightful Speaker: And if you’ve ever heard a landlord claim they 'didn’t know' about a code rule, it doesn’t matter....