Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; adverse action by landlord, tenant remedies.
A BILL to amend and reenact § 55.1-1203 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; adverse action by landlord; tenant remedies.
Housing
Enacted
This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.
Sponsor
Hernandez
Last action
2026-03-14
Official status
Failed
Effective date
Not listed
Plain English Breakdown
The bill summary and text do not provide information on the number of affected landlords.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; adverse action by landlord; tenant remedies
This law stops landlords who own more than four rental units or have a 10 percent interest in more than four rental units from rejecting tenants based on their history of dismissed or nonsuited unlawful detainer cases.
What This Bill Does
Prohibits large landlords from refusing to rent to people because they had a dismissed or nonsuited unlawful detainer case in the past.
Allows tenants to get money back if a landlord does not follow this rule, including actual damages, $250 statutory damages, and reasonable attorney fees.
Who It Names or Affects
Landlords who own more than four rental units or have a 10 percent interest in more than four rental units.
Tenants applying for rentals from these landlords.
Terms To Know
unlawful detainer case
A legal action where a landlord tries to remove a tenant who is not paying rent or violating the lease agreement.
statutory damages
A fixed amount of money set by law that a person can get if another person breaks the law.
Limits and Unknowns
The bill does not specify what happens to landlords who break this rule before July 1, 2027.
It is unclear how many landlords will be affected by this new requirement.
Amendments
These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.
Plain English: The amendment changes the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act by adding new provisions related to negative rental payment histories and modifying existing sections on tenant remedies and fees.
Adds 'or negative rental payment history' as a reason for adverse action by a landlord.
Removes certain language about nonsuited unlawful detainer cases.
Changes the maximum fee from $1,000 to $250.
Inserts new text stating that landlords can consider an applicant's rental payment history.
The exact impact of removing language about nonsuited unlawful detainer cases is unclear without additional context.
Plain English: The amendment modifies the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act by adding provisions related to negative rental payment history and adjusting certain monetary limits.
Adds language allowing landlords to consider a tenant's negative rental payment history when making decisions.
Removes specific references to nonsuited unlawful detainer cases in the legal text.
Changes the maximum fee from $1,000 to $250.
The amendment does not provide clear details on how negative rental payment history will be used or defined.
Reported from General Laws and Technology with amendment (9-Y 6-N)
2026-03-03Senate
Senate committee offered
2026-02-25Housing
Assigned GL&T sub: Housing
2026-02-10Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2026-02-10General Laws and Technology
Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
2026-02-09House
Read third time and passed House (62-Y 35-N 0-A)
2026-02-08House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1078)
2026-02-06House
Read second time
2026-02-06House
committee amendments agreed to
2026-02-06House
Engrossed by House as amended
2026-02-05House
Read first time
2026-02-03General Laws
Reported from General Laws with amendment(s) (16-Y 5-N)
2026-02-03House
House committee offered
2026-01-29Housing/Consumer Protection
Subcommittee recommends reporting (5-Y 4-N)
2026-01-26Housing/Consumer Protection
Assigned HGL sub: Housing/Consumer Protection
2026-01-23House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1078)
2026-01-14House
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101609D
2026-01-14General Laws
Referred to Committee on General Laws
Official Summary Text
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; adverse action by landlord; tenant remedies.
Prohibits a residential landlord who owns more than four rental dwelling units or more than a 10 percent interest in more than four rental dwelling units, whether individually or through a business entity, in the Commonwealth from taking adverse action against a prospective tenant due to the prospective tenant's history of a dismissed or nonsuited unlawful detainer case. The bill allows a prospective tenant to recover, as a result of any such adverse action, (i) actual damages, (ii) statutory damages of $250, and (iii) reasonable attorney fees.
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
(HB1078)
AMENDMENT(S) PROPOSED BY THE SENATE
GENERAL LAWS AND TECHNOLOGY
1. After line 55, engrossed
insert
2. That the provisions of this act shall become effective on July 1, 2027.