Pennsylvania's Act 74 of 2026, signed October 22, 2026 and effective 60 days later, changes seller disclosures in two ways. The land item on the disclosure form now covers flood risk indicators. And once the Insurance Department posts flood information online, sellers must give buyers a written notice titled "PLEASE READ: IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON FLOOD INSURANCE."

What exactly did Act 74 change?

It amended Chapter 73 of Title 68, Pennsylvania's seller disclosure law, in three places.

• Section 7304(b)(13). The disclosure form's land item now reads: land, including soils, drainage, boundaries, sinkholes and flood risk indicators.
• New Section 7305.1. The Insurance Department has to post information on its website about flood-related risk factors, flood mitigation and flood insurance, with links to information that identifies properties in a flood hazard area.
• New Section 7305.2. Once that information is posted, sellers must give buyers a written flood insurance disclosure, either as part of the seller's disclosure form or in addition to it.

The act also has special provisions about revising the property disclosure statement form, which the State Real Estate Commission handles.

What does the flood notice say?

The law spells out the text, so every seller gives the same one. In plain terms it tells the buyer:

• many Pennsylvania properties face increased flood risk;
• visit the Insurance Department's website to review flood-related risk factors;
• a standard homeowners policy typically doesn't cover flood damage;
• talk with an insurance professional about whether you're covered;
• if you're not, coverage may be available from an insurance company or the National Flood Insurance Program.

Notice what it doesn't do. It doesn't tell the buyer whether this particular house has flooded or sits in a flood zone. That's still the job of the regular disclosure form, the seller's honest answers, and the buyer's own research.

When does it start?

Two dates matter.

• The amendments take effect 60 days after October 22, 2026, which lands on December 21, 2026.
• The written flood notice in Section 7305.2 kicks in once the Insurance Department posts the information described in Section 7305.1.

So if you're listing a house around the new year, ask your agent whether the Department has posted its information yet and which version of the disclosure form to use. Don't guess.

What should sellers do now?

Answer the land and drainage questions with real detail. Under the general disclosure law, you don't have to investigate, but you can't leave out a known material defect or say something you know is misleading.

Things worth writing down if you know them:

• water in the basement after heavy rain, and how often;
• past flood insurance claims or FEMA assistance;
• sump pumps, grading or drainage work you've done;
• whether your lender ever required flood insurance.

Being upfront protects you. Under Chapter 73, a buyer has no claim under the disclosure law for defects that were disclosed before the agreement of sale was signed.

What should buyers do with it?

Treat the notice as a prompt, not an answer.

• Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center.
• Read the seller's answers on drainage, basements and flood risk indicators.
• Ask the seller in writing about any past water damage or claims.
• Get flood insurance quotes before your agreement's contingency deadlines run out.

Timing matters on that last one. The Insurance Department says NFIP policies usually have a 30-day waiting period, with an exception when the policy is bought along with a home purchase. For the details, see flood insurance in Pennsylvania.

The Department also says over 40% of flood insurance claims in Pennsylvania come from outside high-risk areas. A house outside the mapped floodplain can still flood, so don't skip the quote just because the map looks clean.

How does this fit with flood maps and lenders?

The notice is one piece of a bigger picture. The Insurance Department says flood risk is most commonly determined by FEMA, though private insurers may make their own assessment. In high-risk areas, federal law may require flood insurance to get a mortgage.

So a buyer could hear about flood risk from three places: the seller's notice and answers, the lender's flood determination and the insurance quote. If they don't agree, ask why. A lender requirement can also change your monthly payment, so it's better to find out before you're deep into the deal.

Sellers whose homes have flood insurance already can help here. Sharing the current premium and policy type gives buyers a real number to work with.

FAQ

What is Act 74 of 2026 in Pennsylvania?

It's a law signed October 22, 2026 that adds flood risk indicators to the seller disclosure form and requires a written flood insurance notice for buyers once the Insurance Department posts flood information.

When do the changes take effect?

60 days after October 22, 2026, which is December 21, 2026. The flood notice applies once the Insurance Department posts the required information.

Does the flood notice say whether the house has flooded?

No. It's standard text about flood risk and insurance. The seller's answers on the disclosure form cover the property itself.

Does homeowners insurance cover flooding?

The notice itself says a standard homeowners policy typically doesn't cover flood damage.

Where can buyers check flood risk?

FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, plus the information the Insurance Department posts under the new law.

Next step

If you're buying or selling, ask a licensed local agent which disclosure form and flood notice apply on your timeline. Buyers should also call a licensed insurance agent for a flood quote before contingencies expire.

Sources: 68 Pa.C.S. Chapter 73, Seller Disclosures, as amended by Act 74 of 2026; Pennsylvania Insurance Department, Learn About Flood Insurance.

In most Pennsylvania counties, you can appeal your property assessment to the county board each year by September 1, or by an earlier county date no sooner than August 1. If you get a notice that your assessment changed, you have 40 days from the notice date. Philadelphia and Allegheny County follow different laws.

Which counties does this cover?

These deadlines come from the Consolidated County Assessment Law, Chapter 88 of Title 53. It applies to counties of the second class A and the third through eighth classes, which is every county except Philadelphia (first class) and Allegheny (second class). If you own in either of those two, check with their assessment offices for their own appeal rules and dates.

When can you appeal?

There are two windows, and they work differently.

• The annual appeal. Anyone aggrieved by an assessment can appeal, whether or not it changed since last year. The written appeal is due on or before September 1, or the earlier date the county commissioners set. The county can't pick a date before August 1 and has to publish notice at least two weeks ahead.
• After a change notice. When the county assessment office changes your assessment or makes a new one, it mails you a notice within five days of updating its records. You then have 40 days from the date of that notice to appeal.

The annual window is the one most homeowners use. If you just bought, it's also worth knowing that your school district or another taxing district can file an appeal on your property too. The law gives taxing districts the same right to appeal.

What goes in the appeal?

The law requires a written appeal that identifies:

• you, as the appellant;
• the property location;
• the owner;
• the assessment you're challenging;
• the address where the board should send the hearing notice.

Counties have their own forms and sometimes a filing fee, so get the form from your county's assessment office or website.

How does the hearing work?

The board mails you a notice of the hearing's time and place at least 20 days before it. Each side can question witnesses.

Show up. The law says an appellant who doesn't appear at the scheduled time is conclusively presumed to have abandoned the appeal, unless you and the board agree to reschedule.

The board decides your property's market value as of the date you filed the appeal. Then it applies the county's established predetermined ratio to that value. If the common level ratio published by the State Tax Equalization Board is more than 15% off from that ratio, the board uses the common level ratio instead. Don't worry if that sounds technical. The part you control is the market value, and that's where your evidence matters.

Good evidence tends to be:

• recent sales of comparable homes nearby;
• a recent appraisal, especially one from your purchase;
• photos and repair estimates for problems that lower the value;
• errors on the county's record, like the wrong square footage or number of bathrooms.

When do you get a decision?

Most appeals have to be heard and decided by October 31. The board then changes the assessment roll and mails written notice of its decision by November 15.

What if you disagree with the board?

You can appeal to the county's court of common pleas. The board's notice has to tell you that you have 30 days from the mailing date of the decision, that you must give each taxing district a copy of your court appeal, and that the board can't advise you on filing. At that stage, many people talk with an attorney.

One useful rule: while your appeal is pending before the board or the court, it also covers later assessments of the same property made before the appeal is decided.

If you're also eligible for a lower school tax bill on your primary home, see the homestead exclusion.

Is an appeal worth it?

Sometimes, and sometimes not. The board decides your property's market value as of the date you appealed. That value could come out higher than you expected, not just lower. Taxing districts can appeal assessments too, so an appeal you file isn't the only way your value gets a second look.

A good rule: appeal when you have solid evidence that your market value is clearly below what the assessment implies, like a recent arm's-length purchase or several comparable sales. If it's close, the time and risk may not be worth it.

FAQ

What is the deadline to appeal a property assessment in Pennsylvania?

In counties under the Consolidated County Assessment Law, September 1, or an earlier date the county sets that's no sooner than August 1.

How long do I have after a change in assessment notice?

40 days from the date of the notice.

Does this apply in Philadelphia or Allegheny County?

No. Chapter 88 covers the other 65 counties. Philadelphia and Allegheny have their own rules.

What happens if I miss my hearing?

You're presumed to have abandoned the appeal, unless you and the board agree to reschedule.

Can I appeal the board's decision?

Yes, to the court of common pleas within 30 days of the decision's mailing date.

Next step

Before your county's deadline, ask a licensed local agent for a list of recent comparable sales near your home. That gives you a quick sense of whether your assessed value is out of line and whether an appeal is worth filing.

Sources: 53 Pa.C.S. 8844, Notices, appeals and certification of values; 53 Pa.C.S. 8801, Scope of chapter; 53 Pa.C.S. 8854, Appeals to court.

Pennsylvania's realty transfer tax is 1% of the property's value for the state, plus a local share that's usually another 1%. Some larger localities charge more. In Philadelphia the total is 4.578%. Buyer and seller are jointly and severally liable, which means the state can collect the whole tax from either one, whatever the sales agreement says.

How is the tax calculated?

The Department of Revenue says the state tax is imposed at 1% on the value of real estate transferred by deed, instrument, long-term lease or other writing. That value includes improvements the buyer contracted for. On a $300,000 house in a place with a 1% local rate, the total tax would be about $6,000.

The tax is collected by the county recorder of deeds, often along with the local tax, when the deed is recorded.

Here's how the rates stack up:

• State share. 1%, everywhere in Pennsylvania.
• Local share. Usually 1%. The Department notes some larger localities charge a higher local rate.
• Philadelphia. The city share went from 3.278% to 3.578% on July 1, 2025, so the combined rate is now 4.578%.

Each local office also has its own processing and recording fees. Your settlement statement should show them as separate lines.

Who actually pays it?

Legally, both of you. The Department says the seller and buyer are jointly and severally liable for the tax.

In practice, the Department says it's traditionally split, with one party paying the state share and the other paying the local share. In a 1% plus 1% area, that works out to an even split. Philadelphia says the tax there is usually split evenly too.

That split is a custom, written into your agreement of sale. It doesn't change who the state can come after. Philadelphia says it can collect 100% of its tax from either party, so it's in the buyer's interest to make sure it's paid in full at closing.

My advice: read the transfer tax line in your agreement before you sign. In a hot market, buyers sometimes agree to cover all of it to make an offer stronger, and on a big purchase in Philadelphia that's real money.

Which transfers are exempt?

The Department lists several kinds of exempt transfers, including:

• certain transfers among family members;
• transfers to government units;
• transfers between religious organizations;
• certain transfers to shareholders or partners;
• transfers to or from nonprofit industrial development agencies;
• deeds to burial sites;
• property passed under a will or by intestate succession.

The family exemption is the one most people ask about. Under the Department's regulations, it covers transfers like those between spouses and between parents and children, along with some other close relatives. There's a catch: if the family member who received the property transfers it again within a year, that later transfer can be taxed as if the original owner made it.

Philadelphia says its family exemptions, like transfers to a spouse, children or grandchildren, all require supporting documents. It also points out that buying a property from an estate isn't exempt, even though inheriting under a will is.

Before you count on an exemption, ask the settlement agent or an attorney to confirm it fits your exact situation.

When is the tax due?

At recording. The tax is paid when the deed is presented to the recorder of deeds, and payment shows up as a stamp or impression on the document.

In Philadelphia, the city says the tax is due when you record the deed and must be paid within 30 days after the real estate is acquired. Paying at closing is the safe route.

Can you deduct it?

Ask a tax professional. How transfer tax is handled on a federal return depends on whether you're the buyer or the seller and how the property is used.

For another cost that hits right after you buy, see Pennsylvania's homestead exclusion.

What does it look like at a real closing?

Two quick examples, using the rates above and an even split.

• A $250,000 home in a 1% local-rate area. State tax $2,500, local tax $2,500, total $5,000. With the customary split, buyer and seller each pay $2,500.
• A $250,000 home in Philadelphia. At 4.578%, the total is $11,445. Split evenly, that's $5,722.50 each.

Those numbers don't include recording fees. Ask your settlement agent for the exact local rate, since some municipalities and school districts charge more than the usual 1%.

FAQ

What is the realty transfer tax rate in Pennsylvania?

1% for the state, plus a local share that's usually 1%. Some larger localities charge more.

What is the transfer tax in Philadelphia?

4.578% total, made up of the city's 3.578% and the state's 1%, effective July 1, 2025.

Does the buyer or seller pay transfer tax in Pennsylvania?

Both are jointly and severally liable. By custom it's often split, but that's set in your agreement of sale.

Is a transfer from a parent to a child taxed?

Certain family transfers, including between parents and children, are exempt. A resale within a year can be taxed.

When is the transfer tax paid?

When the deed is recorded with the county recorder of deeds, usually at closing.

Next step

Ask a licensed local agent to show you the estimated transfer tax for your exact municipality before you write or accept an offer, and how your agreement of sale splits it.

Sources: Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, Realty Transfer Tax; PA Department of Revenue, Who pays the one percent realty transfer tax; 61 Pa. Code Chapter 91, excluded transactions; City of Philadelphia, Realty Transfer Tax.

In Pennsylvania, a home seller has to disclose known material defects by filling out a property disclosure statement and giving the buyer a signed, dated copy before both sides sign the agreement of sale. The rules are in Chapter 73 of Title 68. Sellers don't have to go looking for problems, but they can't hide the ones they know about.

Who has to fill out the disclosure, and who doesn't?

The law covers residential real estate transfers. A few are exempt:

• transfers by a fiduciary, like an executor or trustee, while administering an estate, guardianship, conservatorship or trust;
• brand new construction that hasn't been lived in, if the buyer gets a written warranty of at least one year, the home was inspected for building code compliance, and a certificate of occupancy or code compliance was issued.

Condo and co-op sellers only have to disclose about their own unit, not the common elements. Separate resale rules cover what they must share about the association.

If you're buying an estate sale, the lack of a disclosure is a good reason to get a thorough inspection. Nobody's going to tell you what the late owner knew.

What does the form ask about?

The State Real Estate Commission writes the form, and the law lists the subjects it must cover. There are 17:

• the seller's expertise in contracting, engineering, architecture or related fields;
• when the seller last lived in the property;
• the roof;
• basements and crawl spaces;
• termites and other wood-destroying insects, dry rot and pests;
• structural problems;
• additions, remodeling and structural changes;
• water and sewage systems or service;
• plumbing;
• heating and air conditioning;
• the electrical system;
• other equipment and appliances included in the sale;
• land, including soils, drainage, boundaries, sinkholes and flood risk indicators;
• hazardous substances;
• condominiums and homeowners associations;
• legal issues that affect title or would interfere with using the property;
• the condition and location of stormwater facilities, and who has to maintain them.

Sellers can use a form with more detail than the Commission's. If an agent represents the seller, that agent has to explain the seller's duties and give the seller a copy of the form.

Does a seller have to investigate?

No. The law says the seller doesn't have to make any specific investigation to fill out the form. If something's unknown or unavailable, the seller can answer based on the best information they have.

What the seller can't do is say something they or their agent know, or have reason to know, is false or misleading, or leave out a known material defect.

Sellers also aren't liable for mistakes they didn't know about, mistakes based on a reasonable belief a defect had been fixed, or mistakes based on information from a public agency, home inspector or licensed contractor within their field.

What if something changes before settlement?

If information on the form becomes inaccurate before final settlement because of something that happens after delivery, the seller has to tell the buyer. A burst pipe in February after you signed in January is the classic example.

Before the agreement of sale is signed, the seller can amend the disclosure in writing.

What can a buyer do if the seller lied?

A sale isn't voided just because someone broke the disclosure law. But anyone who willfully or negligently violates it is liable for the buyer's actual damages.

There are hard limits on those claims:

• The lawsuit has to be filed within two years after final settlement.
• There's no claim under this law for defects disclosed before the agreement was signed, defects that developed after signing, or defects that showed up after settlement.
• An agent is only liable if the agent actually knew about an undisclosed defect or a misrepresentation.

Other law still applies. The statute says these disclosure items don't limit duties that exist to prevent fraud or misrepresentation.

What's changing with flood risk?

Act 74 of 2026, signed October 22, 2026, added flood risk indicators to the land item on the form and created a separate flood insurance notice that sellers will have to give buyers. See Pennsylvania's new flood disclosure for home sellers.

What should buyers do with the disclosure?

Read it slowly, before you sign the agreement of sale. That's the point of the timing rule.

• Flag every "yes" and every "unknown," and ask follow-up questions in writing.
• Compare the answers with what your inspector finds.
• Ask for any repair invoices, warranties or permits the seller mentions.
• Pay close attention to water, the roof, sewage and stormwater items.

Remember that defects disclosed before you sign aren't a basis for a claim later. If something on the form worries you, deal with it in the agreement or the inspection contingency, not after closing.

FAQ

When does a Pennsylvania seller have to give the disclosure?

Before the seller and buyer sign the agreement of sale. The buyer gets a signed and dated copy.

Are estate sales exempt from seller disclosure?

Transfers by a fiduciary in the course of administering a decedent's estate, guardianship, conservatorship or trust are exempt.

Does the seller have to hire an inspector to fill out the form?

No. The law doesn't require the seller to investigate, but they can't hide known material defects.

How long do I have to sue over a false disclosure?

Two years after the date of final settlement.

Can my town require extra disclosures?

Generally no. Municipalities can't add new disclosure mandates, though ordinances adopted before the state law took effect can remain.

Next step

If you're selling, ask a licensed local agent for the current Commission form early and fill it out carefully before you list. If you're buying, read every answer, ask follow-up questions in writing, and schedule your own inspection.

Sources: 68 Pa.C.S. Chapter 73, Seller Disclosures.