Guide

Pennsylvania Mold Laws: What the State Requires and What It Leaves Out

Updated October 20, 2026

What Pennsylvania does not have

Pennsylvania has no statute that mentions mold by name. There is no state limit on indoor spore counts, no rule that a home be tested before sale or after cleanup, no state board that certifies mold assessors, and no state license for the people who remove it. Federal law is no different: the EPA says there are no EPA regulations or standards for airborne mold contaminants, and its mold publications are guidance rather than rules.

Other states took a different route. This is how Pennsylvania compares:

If you read that Pennsylvania requires something specific about mold, check the source. In most cases the writer is describing a different state, or describing how general law is applied to a mold problem.

Renters: the implied warranty of habitability

The tenant's protection comes from case law, not from a mold rule. In Pugh v. Holmes, 486 Pa. 272, 405 A.2d 897 (1979), the Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that every residential lease carries an implied warranty of habitability. The landlord has to keep the unit safe, sanitary and fit to live in, and the tenant's duty to pay rent depends on that. Mold that grows because of a roof leak, a failed supply line or a basement taking on water is a habitability problem because of the defect behind it.

The Pennsylvania Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 (68 P.S. § 250.101 et seq.) sets the procedure for notices and evictions. It does not mention mold and it does not codify habitability, so the two sources are used together.

One point trips people up. Pennsylvania's rent withholding statute, 35 P.S. § 1700-1, lets a tenant escrow rent once a dwelling has been certified unfit, but it is written for cities of the first, second, second class A and third class. Gettysburg is a borough, so that statute does not reach a Gettysburg rental. Borough and township tenants rely on the habitability warranty and on local property maintenance enforcement instead, and should get advice before withholding anything.

The practical steps (written notice, dated photos, certified mail, a code inspector's written finding) are in our guide to renters and mold in Pennsylvania. For legal advice on a specific dispute, the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (palegalaid.net) is the place to start.

Sellers and buyers: the disclosure requirement

The Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law, 68 Pa.C.S. §§ 7301 to 7315, applies to most sales of residential property of one to four units. The seller must give the buyer a signed property disclosure statement before the agreement of sale is signed. Under § 7304(b), the State Real Estate Commission's form has to cover subjects including basements and crawl spaces, water and sewage systems, soils and drainage, and the presence of hazardous substances. In practice the form asks about water infiltration and about mold and other fungal growth.

Three things follow from how the law is written:

• The seller answers for what the seller knows. The statute does not require a seller to investigate, so "unknown" is a legitimate answer if it is true.
• A seller who knows about mold or recurring water and answers "no" is exposed to a misrepresentation claim after closing.
• The form is not a substitute for an inspection. The buyer is expected to do their own.

For sellers, the best position is a documented fix: the invoice, photographs and a clearance or moisture record. See selling a home with mold. For buyers, a standard home inspection generally does not include mold sampling, so if the report mentions staining, musty smells or moisture, ask for a scope and a number before you negotiate. See mold and home inspections.

Contractors: no mold license, but not unregulated

Pennsylvania does not license mold remediators (see our licensing guide). Contractors who do home improvement work are covered by the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, 73 P.S. § 517.1 et seq., which the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection enforces. Under that Act:

• Contractors who do $5,000 or more of home improvement work a year register with the Attorney General (the registration lasts two years) and carry at least $50,000 in personal injury and $50,000 in property damage liability coverage.
• Home improvement contracts over $500 have to be in writing and include required terms, including the contractor's registration number and a notice of your right to rescind.
• You can rescind within three business days of signing.
• A violation is treated as a violation of the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law.

Many mold jobs include repair and rebuild work on a residence, which is what the Act covers. Whether a particular scope falls under it is a legal question, so the safe habit is to ask every contractor for a registration number and look it up on the Attorney General's public search before signing. The same habit is in our guide to choosing a mold contractor.

The standard that fills the gap: IICRC S520

With no state rule, the working benchmark is ANSI/IICRC S520, the Standard for Professional Mold Remediation (fourth edition, 2024). It describes the procedures and precautions for remediation in residential, commercial and institutional buildings. It is voluntary. It becomes binding on a contractor only if your contract says the work will be performed to it, so write that sentence into the scope. EPA's Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings is the other reference that most professionals follow. Both are explained step by step in our remediation process guide.

Home warranty and insurance: who pays

People often search whether a home warranty covers mold remediation. Almost always it does not. A home warranty is a service contract that pays to repair or replace listed systems and appliances when they break down, and the standard plan language excludes mold, mildew and fungus, along with the water damage that causes them. Read the exclusions section of your own contract to be sure.

Homeowners insurance is the more likely source of money, and only when the mold results from a covered sudden event such as a burst pipe. Gradual leaks and flooding are commonly excluded. See does insurance cover mold in Pennsylvania.

What this means in Gettysburg and Adams County

Gettysburg borough has an unusually old and unusually rented housing stock, which is exactly where these laws matter. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2020 to 2024) puts the borough's median home at about 1942 construction, with 47.5 percent of homes built before 1940 and 87.2 percent before 1980. Only 46.7 percent of homes are owner-occupied, so a little over half the occupied housing is rented. Across Adams County the median home dates to 1980 and 49.5 percent were built before 1980.

Old stone and brick foundations, damp basements and attic ventilation problems are common here (see historic homes and mold in Gettysburg), and that housing is disproportionately rental. Landlord-tenant disputes in Adams County start at the magisterial district court, so a tenant's written record carries real weight there.

If you own a rental in the borough or a township, a mold report from a tenant is cheaper to answer than to dispute. See mold remediation for landlords, or call us about mold remediation in Gettysburg, PA.

What to do, by situation

If you rent

1. Report it in writing and keep the copy. Send it by email or certified mail, with dated photos.
2. Give the landlord a reasonable time to respond and keep a log of every contact.
3. If nothing happens, ask the municipality's code enforcement office to inspect. A written violation is independent evidence.
4. Talk to legal aid before withholding rent or breaking the lease.

If you are buying

1. Read the seller's disclosure statement for the water, basement and hazardous-substances answers.
2. Have the inspector open and photograph the attic, crawl space and basement, and ask whether moisture readings were taken.
3. Get a written remediation scope and price before negotiating. A quote that does not name the water source is not a scope.
4. Keep the inspection contingency dates in your agreement of sale in view.

If you are hiring a contractor

1. Ask for the Attorney General registration number and the insurance certificate.
2. Ask who will do the clearance test. It should not be the remediator.
3. Put "performed in accordance with ANSI/IICRC S520" and the failed-clearance plan into the written contract.

None of this is legal advice. It describes how the law is generally written and applied, and the statutes are public.

Common questions

Is there a black mold law in Pennsylvania?

No. Pennsylvania has no law specific to black mold or to any other mold. Stachybotrys and every other species fall under the same general rules: the implied warranty of habitability for rentals, the seller disclosure law for sales, and the home improvement law for contractors.

Do mold remediators need a license in Pennsylvania?

There is no state mold license. Contractors who do $5,000 or more of home improvement work a year must register with the Pennsylvania Attorney General under the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, and the industry benchmark for the work itself is ANSI/IICRC S520. Ask for the registration number and the insurance certificate before you sign.

Does a home warranty cover mold remediation?

Almost never. Home warranties pay for breakdowns of covered systems and appliances, and standard plan language excludes mold, mildew and fungus. Homeowners insurance is the more likely source, and only when the mold comes from a covered sudden loss.

Does a seller have to disclose mold in Pennsylvania?

Yes, if the seller knows about it. The Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law requires a signed property disclosure statement before the agreement of sale, and the form asks about water infiltration and mold. A seller who knows and answers no is exposed to liability after closing.

Sources

• 68 Pa.C.S. Chapter 73, Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law (§§ 7301 to 7315)
• 68 Pa.C.S. § 7304, Disclosure form
• 35 P.S. § 1700-1, Dwellings unfit for habitation (City Rent Withholding Act)
• Pennsylvania Attorney General, Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (73 P.S. § 517.1 et seq.)
• Pennsylvania Attorney General, verify a contractor registration
• Pugh v. Holmes, 486 Pa. 272, 405 A.2d 897 (1979)
• ANSI/IICRC S520 Standard for Professional Mold Remediation
• EPA, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home
• New York State Department of Labor, Mold Program
• Texas Occupations Code ch. 1958
• Code of Virginia § 55.1-1215, Disclosure of mold in dwelling units
• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 (Gettysburg borough and Adams County)