Housing

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 13, 2026

HB 1005: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; rental payment methods, prohibited fees.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; rental payment methods; prohibited fees. Requires a landlord subject to the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to accept payment of periodic rent and any security deposit by check and money order. The bill additionally prohibits such a landlord from requiring a tenant to pay any fee to submit periodic rent payments or other amounts due in excess of the actual out-of-pocket expenses charged to the landlord by a third party to process a payment. Finally, the bill prohibits a landlord from requiring a tenant to pay any fee for the maintenance or repair of any dwelling unit unless the repair is necessitated by the tenant's violation of the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. This bill is identical to SB 313.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingRequires landlords to accept multiple payment methods, reducing barriers for tenants and strengthening tenant protections under housing regulations.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Housing

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 13, 2026

HB 221: Appeals bond; indigent parties, appeal of unlawful detainer.

Requirement for appeals bond; indigent parties; appeal of unlawful detainer. Removes the requirement for an indigent defendant, as defined in the bill, to post an appeal bond in an unlawful detainer action appealed from the general district court.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingRemoves appeal bond requirement for indigent tenants in eviction cases, strengthening tenant protections against unlawful detainer.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Housing

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 13, 2026

HB 1130: Workforce housing for employees; county bd. of supervisor or school bd., lease of surplus property.

Workforce housing for employees of a county or county school board; lease of surplus property. Allows any county board of supervisors or county school board to lease as lessor surplus or underutilized property. The bill provides that such leases shall be conditioned on the development of workforce housing serving employees of the county or school division with up to 80 percent of area median household income. The bill also prohibits establishment of a minimum lot size exceeding 5,000 square feet for such workforce housing and provides that the placement of manufactured houses that are on a permanent foundation and on individual lots shall be permitted subject to development standards that are equivalent to those applicable to site-built single-family dwellings.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill mandates workforce housing development on surplus property for employees up to 120% AMI, prohibits large lot sizes to boost supply, and directly advances affordable housing access.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill creates workforce housing for employees (up to 120% AMI), directly supporting affordable housing as an employment standard, reducing housing costs for workers.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Housing

vetoed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 13, 2026

HB 1279: Affordable housing; religious organizations and other nonprofit tax-exempt properties.

Affordable housing; religious organizations and other nonprofit tax-exempt properties. Allows for the administrative approval of development and construction of housing on land owned by property tax-exempt religious organizations or certain property tax-exempt nonprofit organizations and provides that zoning ordinances shall allow the by-right development and construction of housing on real property owned by such organizations, subject to various conditions and limitations. The bill provides that the review of such developments be completed pursuant to general law and states that localities shall not require a special exception, special use permit, conditional use permit, rezoning, or any discretionary review or approval process. The bill requires that at least 60 percent of the housing development's total units be for affordable housing and that the housing development remain affordable for at least 30 years. The bill also provides that all such housing is subject to local real property taxation following completion, unless explicitly exempted by the locality. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027, and expires on January 1, 2031. This bill is identical to SB 388.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingEnables housing development on tax-exempt properties by removing zoning barriers, increasing affordable housing supply through streamlined approvals.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Housing

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signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 13, 2026

HB 1212: Zoning; small lot residential districts.

Small lot residential zoning districts. Requires any locality with a population of 50,000 or more to adopt, maintain, and apply to land within its boundaries at least one zoning district classification that permits a single-family dwelling on a lot with a minimum lot area not exceeding 3,000 square feet. The bill provides that such zoning district classifications shall not impose minimum lot widths exceeding 30 feet or setback, lot coverage, or density requirements that would preclude construction of eligible dwellings on conforming lots. The bill's provisions do not apply to areas within a historic district.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingMandates zoning changes to allow denser residential development on smaller lots (≤3,000 sq ft), increasing housing capacity and affordability by enabling more units per area.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Housing

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 13, 2026

SB 290: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; enforcement by localities.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; enforcement by localities. Provides that if a condition exists in a dwelling unit that constitutes a material noncompliance by the landlord with the rental agreement or with any provision of law that, if not remedied within a reasonable time frame, constitutes a fire hazard or serious threat to the life, health, or safety of a tenant or occupant of the premises, a locality may institute an action on behalf of any tenant or occupant of the premises who is injured by such material noncompliance for injunction and damages to enforce the landlord's duty to maintain the dwelling unit in a fit and habitable condition, provided that (i) the premises where the violation occurred is within the jurisdictional boundaries of the locality and (ii) the locality has notified the landlord who owns the premises, either directly or through the managing agent, of the nature of the violation and the landlord has failed to remedy the violation to the satisfaction of the locality within a reasonable time after receiving such notice. This bill is identical to HB 14.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill empowers localities to enforce landlord compliance with safety standards, directly protecting tenants from fire hazards and health/safety threats per the Act.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Housing

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 13, 2026

HB 14: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; enforcement by localities.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; enforcement by localities. Provides that if a condition exists in a dwelling unit that constitutes a material noncompliance by the landlord with the rental agreement or with any provision of law that, if not remedied within a reasonable time frame, constitutes a fire hazard or serious threat to the life, health, or safety of a tenant or occupant of the premises, a locality may institute an action on behalf of any tenant or occupant of the premises who is injured by such material noncompliance for injunction and damages to enforce the landlord's duty to maintain the dwelling unit in a fit and habitable condition, provided that (i) the premises where the violation occurred is within the jurisdictional boundaries of the locality and (ii) the locality has notified the landlord who owns the premises, either directly or through the managing agent, of the nature of the violation and the landlord has failed to remedy the violation to the satisfaction of the locality within a reasonable time after receiving such notice. This bill is identical to SB 290.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingEnables localities to enforce landlord compliance with safety standards, strengthening tenant protections against hazardous conditions.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Housing

vetoed · Virginia · Senate Apr 12, 2026

SB 490: Mixed-income housing; creating a two-year pilot program that provides loan origination, etc.

Department of Housing and Community Development; loans for the construction of mixed income housing; report. Directs the Department of Housing and Community Development, in collaboration with the Virginia Housing Development Authority, to create a two-year pilot program that would provide loan origination and servicing activities for mixed income housing and submit a report on its findings to the General Assembly by November 1 of each year of the pilot program. The bill provides that any funding for the pilot program, subject to the appropriation act, shall be utilized from up to 15 percent of the annual deposit made to the Virginia Housing Trust Fund. This bill is identical to HB 196 and HB 820.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingProvides lower-interest loans for mixed-income housing construction, directly funding affordable housing development through the Virginia Housing Trust Fund.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Housing

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vetoed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 12, 2026

HB 379: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; application, notice, deposit, fee.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; application; notice, deposit, fee, and additional information. Provides that, prior to requesting or collecting any payment or information about a prospective tenant, a landlord shall first notify the applicant in writing or by posting in a manner accessible to a prospective tenant certain information relating to the rental application process. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingMandates landlord disclosure of rental application details to tenants, enhancing transparency and tenant protections in housing rental processes.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Housing

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vetoed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 12, 2026

HB 888: Minimum off-street parking requirements; definitions, designated areas, administrative reductions.

Minimum off-street parking requirements in certain areas. Provides that a locality shall not require, as a condition of zoning approval, minimum off-street parking for residential, multifamily, or mixed-use development located within a designated area, as defined in the bill, in amounts exceeding (i) 0.5 parking spaces per dwelling unit for multifamily or mixed-use residential development and (ii) one parking space per dwelling unit for one-family and two-family dwellings and townhouses. The bill also provides that no locality shall adopt or enforce any provision of a zoning ordinance that imposes minimum off-street parking requirements for residential, multifamily, or mixed-use development located within a designated area in excess of such limitations. The bill further provides that any locality with a population greater than 20,000 shall, by ordinance, provide for an administrative reduction of minimum off-street parking requirements of not less than 20 percent for residential, multifamily, or mixed-use development proposed on parcels not located within a designated area. This bill incorporates HB 262.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingReduces parking requirements that increase development costs, potentially making housing more affordable by lowering construction expenses for multi-family projects.85% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationReduces parking mandates, potentially promoting sustainable transportation by decreasing car dependency and aligning with infrastructure efficiency goals.75% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Housing

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