Rental Housing Permit

A Rental Housing Permit is required for any unit occupied by anyone other than the owner or the owner’s immediate family.

The Borough of State College has delegated the Rental Housing Permit issuance and management to The Centre Region Code Administration (CRCA). CRCA is responsible for the review, permit issuance and inspection of building construction, rental housing and commercial fire safety in the Centre Region’s following municipalities: Borough of State College, Patton Township, Ferguson Township, College Township, Half Moon Township, Harris Township, and Borough of Bellefonte.

Properties seeking a Rental Housing Permit must comply with rental housing inspections through CRCA as well as municipal regulations.

The Borough of State College reviews all permit applications for zoning compliance.

Permit Application

The Procedure for Apply for and Retaining a Rental Housing Permit document contains a comprehensive overview of the permit application process. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult this document before submitting an application.

Access Rental Housing Permit — Application Forms

Submit completed applications form to the Borough of State College – Planning Department with the required $25 application fee for zoning review. Do not submit completed applications to Centre Region Code Administration – they will be returned. All information and pages are required unless otherwise noted.
The Zoning Officer will review the application for zoning compliance.
Planning Department staff will transmit zoning approved applications to Centre Region Code Administration for final review and permit issuance.
Centre Region Code Administration will contact the [property manager, PIC, owner] to schedule an inspection.

Fees

The Borough requires a $25 application fee with submission of the Rental Housing Permit application. At this time, fees can be paid by check, cash, or credit card (in person, with a processing fee). Please note that credit card payments can only be accepted at the time of application submission if a Planning Department staff member is available to make an application entry into the system.

Centre Region Code Administration will assess their own permit issuance and renewal fees. Please consult the Procedures for Applying document for more information regarding these fees.

Property Maintenance Code & Fire Prevention Code

All rental housing in the Borough is regulated by the International Property Maintenance Code and Fire Prevention Code. These codes require the property owner to maintain the structure in a safe and sanitary condition.

Enforcement

Rental permits may be suspended for failure to comply with the International Property Maintenance Code and Fire Prevention Code. Section 804 and Section 806 identify reasons why and how a rental permit suspension may occur.

Please see more information on the Ordinance Enforcement — Points for Violations page.

Student Occupancy and Student Home License

Properties that meet the definition of a Student Home must obtain a separate Student Home License in addition to the Rental Housing Permit (CRCA). The Rental Housing Permit does not authorize the occupancy of more than one unrelated student in a 1-family, 1-family with an accessory apartment, or 2-family property. Please see the Student Home License page for more information.

Short-Term Rentals

Short-term rental activity (stays of less than 30 days) requires an additional Short-Term Rental License. Please see Short-Term Rental License page for more information and application link.