Pennsylvania homeowners want old listing photos deleted. Here is what works right now

Updated October 13, 2026 · by HomeCloak

Pennsylvania homeowners have been reported pressing lawmakers for a right to have old real-estate listing photos deleted after a sale, the same idea New Jersey put into a bill in September 2026. No such law exists in Pennsylvania today. What does exist is a request process that works in every state, if you know who to write to.

What people are asking for

The complaint is the same everywhere: months after closing, the listing still shows every room, the layout, the windows, and sometimes the alarm panel, next to the address. The photos belong to the brokerage, the MLS feed republishes them, and the big portals keep their copies. Nobody asked the buyer.

Who can actually take a photo down

Three parties hold copies, and each takes a request from the owner. The MLS controls the feed and will remove or suppress photos on an owner's written request with proof of ownership. The listing sites (Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com, Trulia, Homes.com, Movoto) each keep a copy and each has an owner process. The map services (Google, Apple, Bing) hold the street-level view, and only the occupant can file a blur.

That is why a service cannot simply do it all for you, and why the honest version of the job is: the requests written and tracked for you, with the few owner-only clicks laid out step by step. HomeCloak assists you in getting the photos down, and keeps checking that they stay down.

What a Pennsylvania law would and would not fix

A statute modeled on New Jersey's A5422 would put a form at closing and a 30-day clock on the MLS. It would not reach copies already republished, street imagery, or people-search sites. Even under the strongest version, the owner still has to ask. The difference the law makes is the deadline and the penalty.

Common questions

Is there a Pennsylvania bill number yet?

Not that we have seen as of October 2026. Coverage describes homeowners pushing for a law; check the Pennsylvania General Assembly's site for anything filed since.

Can I ask the MLS myself?

Yes. Write to the MLS that covers your county, attach your deed or closing statement, and name the listing address. Most act within two to four weeks. HomeCloak writes that letter for your region if you would rather not start from a blank page.

Skip the 250 hours.

HomeCloak files verified removal requests with every listing site, people-search network, and registered data broker on our list, reads the replies, follows up on every silence, and re-files when something comes back — for $109.99 a year. We prepare the few steps only you can do.

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