An Act to amend and reenact §§ 55.1-1258 and 55.1-1314 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act; retaliatory conduct prohibited.
HB329 amends Virginia’s landlord-tenant laws to strengthen and clarify protections against retaliatory conduct by landlords. The bill revises the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act and the Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act to prohibit retaliation after a tenant has complained to a housing or building code agency, complained to the landlord about violations of the rental agreement or housing laws, asserted rights under fair housing laws, participated in a tenants’ organization, testified in a proceeding, or engaged in certain other protected activities. It also expands the list of retaliatory acts to include increasing rent or fees, selectively reducing services, changing rules only for the affected tenant, threatening or harassing the tenant, filing or threatening eviction, terminating the rental agreement, and refusing to renew certain subsidized tenancies.
The bill also preserves several landlord exceptions. A landlord is not liable for retaliation if the underlying code violation was caused primarily by the tenant or the tenant’s guests, if the tenant is already in rent default, if the landlord had already given notice to terminate or for material noncompliance before the protected activity, if rent or service changes apply equally to all tenants, or if compliance would require major alterations or demolition. The measure further ties protections to tenants receiving federal, state, or local rental assistance, including Housing Choice Vouchers, by limiting refusal to renew in certain circumstances.
HB329 changes §§ 55.1-1258 and 55.1-1314 of the Code of Virginia by broadening and clarifying the statutory prohibition on landlord retaliation. It affects landlords, tenants, and manufactured home lot rental relationships by creating more explicit protected tenant activities, expanding the definition of retaliatory conduct, and reinforcing available tenant remedies such as actual damages and use of retaliation as a defense in possession actions. The bill also adds or clarifies exceptions that preserve a landlord’s ability to enforce rent obligations, neutral rule changes, and legitimate termination rights in specified circumstances.
The available record shows no committee transcript, recorded votes, or other debate excerpts, so there is no direct evidence of divided opinion in the materials provided. Based on the enacted chapter text, the bill appears to have advanced successfully through the General Assembly and was approved as Chapter 1111 on May 14, 2026. The substance of the bill suggests a tenant-protection orientation, with the legislature choosing to codify stronger anti-retaliation rules while retaining landlord safeguards.
The main policy tension in HB329 is between tenant protection and landlord enforcement rights. Supporters would likely view the bill as necessary to prevent landlords from punishing tenants who report code violations, assert fair housing rights, or organize collectively, while critics may be concerned that broader retaliation standards could increase litigation or limit landlords’ flexibility to manage properties and enforce leases. The bill addresses some of those concerns by preserving exceptions for tenant-caused violations, rent delinquency, preexisting termination notices, and neutral changes applied to all tenants.