What the numbers mean for river-ward landlords
Port Richmond and Kensington (19134) have 4,486 licensed rentals, the third most of any Philadelphia ZIP code, and 4,360 of them were built before 1978. Frankford and Juniata (19124) are almost all older housing too: 3,842 of 3,883.
Lapsed certificates are common here. 666 licensed rentals in 19124 show an expired certificate in the City’s records, the third most in the city, and 595 more in 19134. A new lease, a lease renewal or a rental license renewal needs a current certificate.
Fishtown and East Kensington (19125) are the exception: 614 of 2,152 licensed rentals are registered exempt, homes built after 1978. The original rowhouses between them still need testing.
Certificates come due in waves four years after the last round of tests. Here the big one is 2029, when 3,231 expire. Testing a little early is fine: the new certificate simply runs four years from the new test.
What a test involves here
For each unit we wipe one floor and one windowsill in every bedroom and in one common room, plus a blank control. A 2-bedroom rowhouse is 7 samples. Older wood windows, painted sills and dust from nearby work are the usual reasons a unit fails the 2026 limits (floors 5, sills 40, troughs 100 µg/ft²). Use the prep checklist before the visit.
After you pass
You get the certificate and lab report by email, with the exact steps for filing on the City’s lead certification portal. The certificate is good for four years.