Housing

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 13, 2026

HB 519: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; definition of essential services.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; essential services. Adds central air conditioning when supplied by the landlord and operating or represented as operating as of the effective date of the rental agreement to the list of what constitutes an essential service for purposes of the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingAdds air conditioning as an essential service landlords must provide, strengthening tenant protections under the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Housing

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 13, 2026

HB 593: Summons for unlawful detainer; legal resources, plain-language overview of process.

Summons for unlawful detainer; additional information; legal resources; plain-language overview of process. Provides that any summons for an unlawful detainer issued may, with the approval of the chief judge of the general district court or the chief judge of the circuit court, have attached additional information prepared by the Commonwealth, the locality in which the unlawful detainer hearing is to be held, or a nonprofit organization serving the jurisdiction in which such hearing is to be held regarding (i) legal resources available to the plaintiff and defendant, (ii) a plain-language overview of the unlawful detainer process, and (iii) the Eviction Diversion Program eligibility and applicability.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingProvides legal resources and plain-language process overview for tenants in unlawful detainer cases, enhancing access to tenant protections during eviction proceedings.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes 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 1325: Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act; landlord obligations.

Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act; landlord obligations. Requires a landlord to provide a copy of any written rental agreement and the statement of tenant rights and responsibilities within 10 business days of the effective date of the written rental agreement; current law requires a landlord to provide such copies within one month of such effective date. The bill outlines required notice language regarding flood insurance to be included by the landlord in the rental agreement and provides that failures of the landlord to provide notice shall not affect the validity of the rental agreement. The bill applies to rental agreements that are entered into, extended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingRequires landlords to provide rental agreements and tenant rights documents faster (10 business days vs. 1 month), strengthening tenant protections in manufactured home lots.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Housing

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 13, 2026

HB 1408: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, rental agreement noncompliance.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies; rental agreement noncompliance; victim of family abuse. Removes the requirement that a tenant who is a victim of family abuse provide the landlord prompt notification should the perpetrator return to the dwelling unit to prevent the landlord from terminating a lease solely due to such act of family abuse occurring in the dwelling unit or on the premises by a perpetrator barred from the dwelling unit. Under the bill, if the tenant provides the landlord with a copy of the protective order, should the perpetrator not already be barred from the unit by the landlord, the lease shall not be terminated due solely to an act of family abuse against the tenant by a perpetrator barred from the dwelling unit.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProtects tenants who are victims of family abuse from lease termination, aligning with criminal justice reform by safeguarding civil rights and reducing barriers for abuse survivors.90% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingPrevents lease termination for tenants who are victims of family abuse by removing notification requirements, strengthening tenant protections under housing law.95% 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 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

vetoed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 13, 2026

HB 329: Va. Residential Landlord & Tenant/Manufactured Home Lot Rental Acts; retaliatory conduct prohibited.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act; retaliatory conduct prohibited. Adds numerous actions to the list of prohibited retaliatory actions by a landlord against a tenant under the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act and Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act and specifies actions by a tenant for which a landlord may not retaliate. The bill modifies and expands the list of actions a landlord may take without violating the prohibition on retaliation. The bill allows a tenant, when the landlord has unlawfully retaliated, to recover actual damages and to assert retaliation as a defense in any action brought against him for possession. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingExpands tenant protections by prohibiting landlord retaliation for tenant actions, strengthening tenant rights under housing laws.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Housing

Track

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