The three documents L&I will accept
L&I's Proof of Use and Occupancy information sheet sets out a strict order of preference, and eCLIPSE follows it when you file. A Certificate of Occupancy for the property is the strongest form of proof, since it is L&I's own record that the building's layout was inspected and approved for the number of units you're claiming.
If you don't have a Certificate of Occupancy, a prior rental license record can substitute, but only if it was issued or renewed within the last three years and shows the same unit count you're applying for now. A rental license from six years ago, or one that shows three units when you're now applying for four, doesn't satisfy this path.
If neither of those exists, the last option is a Zoning Permit or Use Registration Permit, and only for a use that was established before the year 2000. You also have to file a notarized Affidavit of Continuous Use alongside it. This is the narrowest path, and the one most likely to trip up an owner who assumed a decades-old, never-formally-permitted duplex would just be grandfathered in without paperwork.
- Certificate of Occupancy for the property
- A prior rental license issued or renewed within the last 3 years, showing the same unit count
- A Zoning or Use Registration Permit for a use established before 2000, filed together with a notarized Affidavit of Continuous Use
What "continuous" means, and why a vacancy or a remodel can break it
The Affidavit of Continuous Use isn't a formality. It's a sworn, notarized statement that the use you're claiming for the property has been continuously operated: the operation didn't lapse for three or more years, and the building's physical layout and systems still match the use you're attesting to.
That standard cuts both ways. A property that sat vacant for an extended stretch, one that was converted to a different use and back, or one where the physical layout no longer matches the original zoning use can all fail the continuity test, even if the owner genuinely believes the use never changed. Because the affidavit is a sworn City filing, it isn't something to sign casually. If you're not confident the use has actually been continuous in the way the affidavit describes, that's a question for a zoning attorney or permit expediter before you sign, not something to attest to and hope goes unquestioned.
When your claimed unit count doesn't match City records
eCLIPSE checks the unit count on your rental license application against what the City has on file for the property, whether that comes from a Certificate of Occupancy, zoning records, or a prior license. When the numbers don't line up, for example the property is marketed as a triplex but City records only ever showed a duplex, the application generally can't move forward as filed.
That's worth reconciling, not something to talk around. A mismatch by itself doesn't mean anything was done improperly: older buildings especially can have layouts that were never formally re-permitted after a change made decades ago, or City records that simply lag reality. But eCLIPSE won't license units the City's own records don't recognize, so the fix has to happen before the application proceeds, not after.
The paths that reconcile a mismatch, an eCLIPSE license amendment filed with the correct supporting permits, or an appointment with the Permit and License Center, both start with figuring out what the City's records actually show. Checking Atlas for the property's permit and zoning history is the useful first step before you file anything.
- Pull the property's permit and zoning history on Atlas to see what unit count the City has on record
- If the documented unit count is genuinely lower than what's built out, treat that as a zoning and permitting question, not a paperwork fix, and talk to an architect, permit expediter, or zoning attorney before applying
- If the City's records are simply outdated or wrong, an eCLIPSE license amendment or an appointment with the Permit and License Center is the path to correct them
See what supported City records show for your property
See your rental-license status and expiration date from City records, how many problems we found, the things only you can confirm, what to handle first, and when we last checked. New Compliance Watch enrollment is paused while its supported-source rechecks, owner answers, dated tasks, alerts, and history are prepared.
Run a Property Readiness CheckGetting a Certificate of Occupancy if you don't already have one
If none of the three accepted documents exists for your property, that isn't only a rental-license problem. It can also mean the units themselves never went through the City's formal occupancy-approval process. Getting a Certificate of Occupancy issued after the fact means an application through eCLIPSE, potentially supported by permits for whatever work brought the building to its current layout, filed against the City's published fee schedule for occupancy and zoning permits.
This isn't a step to take alone if there's any real question about whether the layout matches what's permitted. An architect, a permit expediter, or a zoning attorney can tell you what documentation your specific property already has, what's missing, and what it would actually take to legalize a layout that never went through the process, in a way a general guide can't do for every building in the city. What this guide can tell you is which of the three accepted documents, if any, is worth checking for your address before you apply.
This is general information, not legal advice
This guide describes the City of Philadelphia's published requirements for proof of legal occupancy on a rental license application. It does not evaluate whether a specific property's layout is legal, and it is not a substitute for a site-specific review by a licensed Pennsylvania attorney, architect, or permit expediter. If there's any doubt about whether a property's documented unit count matches what's built, or whether continuity of use can be established honestly, get professional advice before filing, not after.