Tenant organizers in Philadelphia want the city to curb landlords' and property managers' use of artificial intelligence, saying the software can mishandle maintenance complaints and incorrectly mark renters as owing money.
For many renters, the issue comes down to needing a dependable human record when they report leaks, pest problems, or payment questions.
Here's what to know
City Council members and advocates from Philadelphia DSA and its Citywide Tenant Union are developing legislation to limit AI use in apartment operations, WHYY's PlanPhilly reported.
They are concentrating on software that handles repair submissions and calculates rental arrears, since those calculations can trigger late fees or notices claiming a tenant is delinquent.
The campaign is unfolding during Philadelphia's affordable housing crunch. Because almost half the city's residents rent, lower-income tenants often have little practical freedom to move once multiple problems pile up.
In comments to PlanPhilly, Vincent Montoya, an organizer with Philadelphia DSA, said owners are adopting AI mainly to save money, while renters see little upside.
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"They're obviously doing this to cut down on costs, so they don't have to spend money on a property manager or a maintenance worker talking to a tenant. But the tenant's not getting any of the benefits," he said.
Landlords and property managers counter that the software is intended to take repetitive tasks off staff members' plates, not eliminate human jobs.
"We're not trying to essentially replace people. We're just trying to reduce the amount of tasks our people have," said Kelli Tomczak, who leads property management at the HOW Group and oversees 25 Philadelphia apartment buildings.
More background
Across rental housing, AI is increasingly used for routine functions that used to require direct contact with a person.
In Philadelphia, that can mean software taking rent payments, handling maintenance messages, answering prospective tenants, and assisting with applications.
"Prospects want an immediate response. And generally, that's who they're going to go with — who responds quicker," Tomczak told PlanPhilly.
Steven Chintaman, vice president for government affairs at the Pennsylvania Apartment Association, told PlanPhilly that many larger landlords use AI for efficiency but still rely on people to resolve disputes, respond to complaints, and decide which maintenance issues come first.
Advocates say that setup can still strip away key details for tenants.
When software rewrites or misreads a repair complaint, a maintenance worker may arrive without the needed tools or focus on the wrong issue. Renters can also be hurt later if the system fails to preserve an accurate written record for court.
In Pennsylvania, that documentation matters because residential leases carry an implied warranty of habitability. Landlords are therefore required to keep units fit to live in, and when they do not, tenants may be able to withhold rent temporarily or pay for repairs themselves and deduct the cost afterward.
What's being done?
City legislation is the central strategy, with advocates seeking stricter rules for AI in rental housing when it tracks maintenance issues or calculates what tenants owe.
They want maintenance submissions stored verbatim and preserved so renters have a dependable record of what they reported.
Montoya said that kind of paper trail can be crucial when a tenant needs to show that dangerous conditions were ignored.
"When you input a repair request, it should be recorded exactly as you inputted it into the system and then stored," he said. "That way if you end up in a legal dispute down the road, you can point clearly to your maintenance portal and say 'I complained about this issue in my own words.'"
PlanPhilly also spoke with Larice Hill, a tenant at Kings Ferry Square Apartments in South Philadelphia, who said she spent months trying to get help for a mouse infestation and eventually paid for her own exterminator.
"Nobody gets your message. Nobody calls you back. Not unless you go to the office between their new hours," Hill remarked.
Where can I learn more?
Other coverage has tracked similar fights over neglected repairs, unsafe conditions, and basic housing protections. In these articles, tenants deal with ignored maintenance requests and disclosure rules meant to keep them informed.
• In a viral apartment dispute, an alleged repair attempt left tenants fuming over a leak.
• An overseas landlord's refusal to fix air conditioning left a tenant sweltering indoors.
• A renter said promised upkeep never came, reinforcing complaints about neglected maintenance obligations.
• In Arizona, lawmakers proposed indoor temperature protections after tenants faced dangerous heat indoors.
• In Texas, renters gained required flood-risk disclosure before signing leases in hurricane-prone areas.
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