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Chart: Anti-retaliation Statutes for Tenants, State by State

by Attorney Janet Portman

In most states, landlords cannot retaliate against a tenant for exercising a legal right. Here's a synopsis of those laws.

Most states protect tenants by making it illegal for landlords to retaliate against a tenant who has exercised a legal right. Protected legal rights include:

  • complaints to government authorities or to the landlord about health or safety problems
  • complaints to government agencies or lawsuits alleging illegal housing discrimination, and
  • political activity, including sponsorship of legislation or candidates, and participating in a tenants' union or organization.

The chart below lists those states that provide anti-retaliation protection for their tenants (a few cities, notably those with rent control, also provide protections).

For details on these states' laws, and how tenants can recoup fees, costs, and stop rent hikes, see Every Tenant's Legal Guide, by Janet Portman and Marcia Stewart (Nolo). To learn about these laws from the landlord's perspective, see Every Landlord's Legal Guide, by Marcia Stewart, Ralph Warner, and Janet Portman (Nolo).

States That Provide Anti-Retaliation Protection

To read these statutes, go to Nolo's State Research page and click on your state.

State

Statute

Alabama

Ala. Code § 35-9A-501

Alaska

Alaska Stat. § 34.03.310

Arizona

Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 33-1381

Arkansas

Ark. Code Ann. § 20-27-608

California

Cal. Civ. Code § 1942.51

Colorado

No statute

Connecticut

Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-20, 47a-33

Delaware

Del. Code Ann. tit. 25, § 5516

District of Columbia

D.C. Code § 42-3505.02

Florida

Fla. Stat. Ann. § 83.64

Georgia

No statute

Hawaii

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-74

Idaho

No statute

Illinois

765 Ill. Comp. Stat. § 720/1

Indiana

No statute

Iowa

Iowa Code Ann. § 562A.36

Kansas

Kan. Stat. Ann. § 58-2572

Kentucky

Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 383.705

Louisiana

No statute

Maine

4 Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 14, § 6001(3)(4)

Maryland

Md. Code Ann. [Real Prop.] § 8-208.1 1

Massachusetts

Mass. Ann. Laws ch. 239, § 2A; ch. 186, § 18

Michigan

Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5720

Minnesota

Minn. Stat. Ann. §§ 504B.441, 504B.285

Mississippi

Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-17

Missouri

No statute

Montana

Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-431

Nebraska

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1439

Nevada

Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 118A.510

New Hampshire

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 540:13-a, 540:13-b

New Jersey

N.J. Stat. Ann. §§ 2A:42-10.10, 2A:42-10.12 2

New Mexico

N.M. Stat. Ann. § 47-8-39

New York

N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 223-b

North Carolina

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-37.1

North Dakota

No statute

Ohio

Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 5321.02

Oklahoma

No statute

Oregon

Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.385

Pennsylvania

68 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. §§ 250.205, 399.11

Rhode Island

R.I. Gen. Laws Ann. §§ 34-20-10, 34-20-11

South Carolina

S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-910

South Dakota

S.D. Cod. Laws Ann. §§ 43-32-27, 43-32-28

Tennessee

Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 66-28-514, § 68-111-105

Texas

Tex. Prop. Code § 92.331

Utah

Building Monitoring Sys. v. Paxton,905 P.2d 1215 (Utah 1995)

Vermont

Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 9, § 4465

Virginia

Va. Code Ann. § 55-248.39

Washington

Wash. Rev. Code §§ 59.18.240, 59.18.250

West Virginia

Imperial Colliery Co. v. Fout, 373 S.E.2d 489 (1988)

Wisconsin

Wis. Stat. § 704.45

Wyoming

No statute

Copyright 2008 Nolo

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