Start with Philadelphia’s official searches
Begin with City tools, not a third-party listing. Philadelphia’s search page says you can use eCLIPSE to find business-license information by business name, business location, or license number, and that Atlas or the L&I Property History lookup can search an address for licenses, permits, violations, and related records. The Get a Rental License page confirms that L&I issues the Rental License. Keep that separate from applying for a license yourself: this guide is only about reading the public record.
Find the correct property in Atlas
Open Atlas and enter the address, then confirm the selected property matches the building you mean. In the Licenses & Inspections section, look for business-license information. The City’s search page lists licenses, permits, violations, zoning history, and assessments as separate categories, so finding a construction permit is not the same as finding a Rental License. For privacy, run the search in the official tool rather than posting the address or a screenshot publicly; you do not need an example property or tenant name to follow these steps.
Cross-check the license in eCLIPSE
From the City’s property-history search page, follow the eCLIPSE business-license search link. Search by business location, business name, or license number. If Atlas shows a license number, use it to narrow the search, then confirm the returned record is for the intended property.
Check that the license type is Rental License. The City’s rental and property licenses page treats the Rental License as its own property license and notes that businesses also need an Activity License or a Commercial Activity License—so a Commercial Activity License alone is not a substitute for the property’s Rental License. Compare the record’s status and any expiration or renewal dates shown. The Get a Rental License page states that this license must be renewed annually, so an old issue date by itself does not prove the license is current.
Account for buildings and ownership changes
Do not assume every apartment needs its own separate license entry. The Get a Rental License page says one license can cover all units in a single building, and that a property with multiple buildings needs a Rental License for each building. It also says Rental Licenses are not transferable: a new owner must close the previous owner’s license and apply for a new one. Those rules matter when you read an older record or search for a particular unit.
Treat a missing result, unclear status, or conflicting dates as a question to resolve—not as proof that the property is licensed or unlicensed. A license lookup also is not a full assessment of building conditions. Related reading on how to use the same City tools for permits is in our permit-history lookup guide.
Ask L&I when the record is unclear
If you cannot establish current status, ask L&I through the City’s official help channels. The page on getting a copy of a license, permit, or violation directs questions to 311 and explains how to request a copy of a current license; document-copy requests carry a fee. Keep a private note of the search date, tool, license number, and any unresolved question. Share property details only where needed for official help, and redact addresses from anything you publish.
This is a records-checking guide, not a determination of anyone’s rights on rent, eviction, or occupancy; seek qualified housing-law advice for a dispute. For related repair paperwork, see what documents to keep after a home repair. Before you hire anyone for work on a Philadelphia or Bucks County home, use the hiring checklist. More general repair topics are on our home construction and general repairs page, and local context for Northeast Philadelphia is on the Northeast Philadelphia area page.