What the numbers mean for South Philly landlords
South Philadelphia has more lapsed certificates than most of the city. 2,038 licensed rentals here show an expired lead-safe certificate in the City’s records, and East Passyunk and Whitman (19148) have the highest share of any Philadelphia ZIP code: 20% of licensed rentals. A new lease, a lease renewal or a rental license renewal all need a current certificate, so if yours has lapsed, test before your next one.
Queen Village, Bella Vista and Pennsport (19147) have a renewal bunch coming: 483 certificates expire in 2027, against 161 the year after. Book a few weeks ahead of your expiry date and you won’t need to pay for rush results.
Point Breeze and Graduate Hospital (19146) look different: 886 of its 4,207 licensed rentals are registered exempt, mostly homes built after 1978. The older rowhouses around them still need a certificate.
What a test involves here
Most South Philly rentals are a rowhouse or an apartment in one. For each unit we wipe one floor and one windowsill in every bedroom and in one common room, plus a blank control. A 3-bedroom rowhouse is 9 samples and usually takes well under an hour. Testing two or more units in one visit, like the apartments in a converted rowhouse, takes 20% off every unit.
Old wood windows and painted sills are the usual reason a unit fails under the 2026 limits (floors 5, sills 40, troughs 100 µg/ft²). Recent work matters too: renovation dust that looks clean can still fail. The prep checklist covers what to do.
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.