Short answer
There is no single number. The process starts with a written notice to quit of 10, 15 or 30 days depending on the reason and the lease, then a court filing, a hearing and a judgment. In Philadelphia, landlords also must go through the Eviction Diversion Program first. Court scheduling and appeals can add weeks.
Step 1: notice to quit
The Philadelphia Municipal Court pamphlet explains that, unless the lease says otherwise, the minimum notice runs from the date the tenant receives the letter. It is ten days if rent is past due. For a lease with a current term of a year or less, it is 15 days for a breach other than nonpayment or an expired term. For a lease with a current term of more than a year, it is 30 days for those reasons.
The letter must tell the tenant the date to leave. A landlord needs a copy of it to file, unless the lease provides that no notice is required.
In practice, tenants sometimes pay or leave during the notice period, which ends the process early. Do not count on it when you plan a sale.
Step 2: Philadelphia's diversion requirement
In Philadelphia, the court requires landlords to take part in the city's Eviction Diversion Program before filing. The pamphlet says to wait 30 days before filing an eviction complaint if the issues are not resolved. If the landlord has received payment through the program's Targeted Financial Assistance Program, the wait is 60 days after the last covered month.
Outside Philadelphia, procedures differ by court. Check with your local magisterial district court.
Step 3: filing, hearing and judgment
The landlord files a complaint, with documents such as the lease, current licenses and the notice to quit. The court schedules a hearing. Parties can try mediation. If the tenant is late or does not appear, a default judgment can be entered, and the tenant can ask to open it if they have a good reason and act promptly.
After a judgment, further steps follow before the tenant can be removed. Appeals and postponements add time. This answer does not state a total number of days because we could not source a reliable statewide average.
What this means if you want to sell
If you need a vacant house, the notice, diversion wait, court dates and any appeals all go on the calendar. Add the time to turn the unit and prepare to list. Many sellers find that months of lost rent and legal costs change the math.
Selling occupied, or selling for cash to a buyer who handles the tenant, can shorten the path. It usually lowers the price. Ask a landlord-tenant attorney which route fits your facts.
A note on cash buyers
Kaizen Home Buyers makes a cash offer within 24 hours, buys as-is and charges no agent commission. We can talk through your situation at 267-329-0084. Whether we can buy a particular occupied house depends on the facts, so ask before you plan around it.