Council passes reforms to Philly’s privatized eviction system. But Mayor Parker isn’t on board.

City Council has agreed to change Philadelphia’s privatized eviction system amid sustained outrage over a trio of shootings last year by contractors enforcing lockout orders.

But the reforms, which passed in a unanimous vote at a final spring Council session Thursday, were not without skeptics — including landlord groups and Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration.

In Pennsylvania, Philadelphia is unique for primarily using a private, court-appointed lawyer, known as a “landlord-tenant officer” (LTO) to serve eviction paperwork and perform lockouts, with the assistance of about ten private security contractors.

This system has operated with little public oversight or transparency in the half century since its creation. The legislation, introduced by Councilmember Kendra Brooks in January and cosponsored by most of City Council, would impose a new licensing and credentialing system on the private security contractors working for the landlord-tenant officer.

The bill would require any civilian seeking to perform evictions in Philadelphia to complete 189 hours of training focused on use-of-force or crisis de-escalation, possess proof of liability insurance, and pay an application fee to get a city license.

Licensed eviction officers must also complete annual retraining and license renewal, while those violating certain provisions can have their license revoked by the city, under the legislation. It also bars individuals involved in use-of-force incidents or who owe city taxes from obtaining a license.

» READ MORE: Explaining deputy landlord-tenant officers, who carry out evictions in Philly

Housing advocates supported the bill, which was authored in response to incidents like the shooting of tenant Angel Davis by a security contractor employed by the LTO last year during an eviction, sparking lawsuits and calls to abolish the office, and a temporary eviction pause.

“The landlord tenant office has long operated opaquely, including who is employed there, how they hire, what training they undergo, and what protocol officers are required to followed,” said Cheri Thomas, director of housing at the Legal Clinic for the Disabled. “Requiring a baseline of knowledge and skills, identifying officers conducting lockouts, and requiring insurance moves us towards the level of transparency we’re looking for.”

Greg Wertman, president of the Homeowners Association of Philadelphia, a group representing private landlords, said that he generally supported contractor licensing, he viewed the bill as another way to slow down an already lengthy eviction process in Philadelphia.

“Between the diversion [program] and all these other tactics they throw up to keep tenants in units longer at the owner’s expense, it’s just ridiculous,” Wertman said Thursday.

Wertman said large landlords with hundreds of properties are equipped to handle protracted eviction disputes, but small landlords take an enormous financial hit due to cases that are delayed up to six months — or in some cases, years.

The HAPCO president also criticized the city’s response to the string of shootings involving court-appointed officers last year, arguing that tenants sometimes fuel conflict.

“They attack [the LTO officers], they sic dogs on them, and they’re always at fault, never the tenants,” he said.

» READ MORE: Philly halts evictions by landlord-tenant officer after 3 shooting incidents in 4 months

Last week, Council sources signaled the mayor was also pushing back on the proposal.

According to the bill, these new rules would be enforced by the city’s Department of Licenses and Inspections or “another agency of the mayor’s choosing.” But during a hearing, L&I representative Sarah Adamo testified that her department — which primarily regulates commercial businesses and construction work — was unprepared to license security professionals.

“Even if provided with appropriate resources, the department lacks the expertise to effectively enforce this legislation,” Adamo said.

Councilmembers Jamie Gauthier and Rue Landau expressed frustration with the testimony, particularly as the bill text leaves open the door for other agencies to enforce the rules. The Managing Director’s Office, for example, enforced city bouncer licensing rules for many years.

“I don’t understand why we wouldn’t be able to incorporate this,” Gauthier said, of the licensing rules. “I would have expected the administration to come to the table with a little bit more.”

This week, Parker spokesperson Joe Grace said the administration supported “the spirit of the legislation” but pointed back to Adamo’s testimony.

He said only that Parker did not have to make a final decision on signing or vetoing the legislation until the fall.

“As with every piece of legislation that may pass today at Council’s final session, the mayor has until Sept. 5 to decide on any and all bills,” he said.

Marisa Shuter, the current landlord tenant officer, was unavailable for a comment, according to a spokesperson.