Housing

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 13, 2026

HB 616: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; tenant records.

Department of Housing and Community Development; Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; tenant records. Requires a landlord, upon written request by a tenant, to within 10 business days provide such tenant a statement containing all charges and payments incurred by the tenant over the duration of the tenancy or the past 12 months, whichever is shorter. The bill specifies that such statement shall itemize separately rent and the cost of each utility and that the landlord is not obligated to provide such written statement if the landlord owns fewer than four rental dwelling units or less than a 10 percent interest in more than four rental dwelling units, whether individually or through a business entity, in the Commonwealth unless the landlord receives any state or local rental or utility assistance funds on behalf of the tenant. The bill additionally directs the Department of Housing and Community Development to, based on input from relevant stakeholders, develop a standardized printable template for the landlord to use to provide the tenant such written statement. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingRequires landlords to disclose tenant financial records, enhancing transparency and tenant rights under housing laws.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports 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 Yes ✓ Supports 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 Yes ✓ Supports 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 Yes ✓ Supports 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 Yes ✓ Supports 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 Yes ✓ Supports 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 Yes ✓ Supports 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 Yes ✓ Supports Housing

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 13, 2026

SB 402: Residential property owners; insurance policies, roofing services by contractors.

Residential property owners; insurance policies; roofing services by contractors; prohibited practices and consumer protection. Prohibits insurers from refusing coverage or canceling, refusing to renew, or increasing the premiums of a policy written to insure an owner-occupied dwelling solely based on the age or condition of the asphalt shingle roof, except in certain circumstances. The bill also contains provisions related to consumer protection in the context of contractors providing roofing services for residential property owners. The bill prohibits certain advertisements and conduct by contractors in such context. The bill includes contract terms that must be included by contractors in such context, and permits a residential property owner to cancel a contract for roofing services in the case of a declaration of a state of emergency by the Governor applicable to the geographic area where the property is located. Provisions of the bill related to prohibited conduct and requirements for contractors providing roofing services are subject to the enforcement provisions of the Consumer Protection Act. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027, and is identical to HB 677.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingProtects property owners from unfair insurance practices based on roof condition, strengthening property rights within housing.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports 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 Yes ✓ Supports Housing

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