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Fair Housing Rights: 
What Renters Need to Know


Fair Housing laws exist to ensure every renter has the same opportunity to secure safe, stable housing.


Whether you're applying for a unit, asking questions about availability or signing a lease, knowing your rights gives you the confidence to navigate the rental process without fear of unfair treatment.


Who Fair Housing Laws Protect

Virginia’s Fair Housing Law, which closely mirrors the Federal Fair Housing Act, makes it illegal for a landlord or housing provider to treat you differently because of your protected class. Under state law, no one can deny you housing, impose different conditions or interfere with your rental opportunities because of:


  • Race
  • Color
  • Religion (any or none)
  • Sex
  • Disability
  • Familial status
  • National origin
  • Elderliness
  • Source of income
  • Military status
  • Gender identity
  • Sexual orientation

These protections apply from the first moment you inquire about a property through the entire duration of your tenancy.


What Discrimination Looks Like

Sometimes discrimination is obvious, but other times it’s subtle. Fair Housing laws identify several prohibited rental practices, including:


  • Saying a unit is unavailable when it actually is
  • Applying different qualifying criteria, fees or screening standards
  • Steering renters toward (or away from) specific buildings or areas
  • Imposing different lease terms, conditions or privileges
  • Suggesting a renter wouldn’t “fit in” with the neighborhood

If a housing provider applies different rules or creates additional barriers for you that don’t apply to others, these can be signs of discrimination.


Your Right to File a Fair Housing Complaint

If you believe you’ve been treated unfairly, you have the right to file a Fair Housing complaint. In Virginia, complaints are investigated by the Virginia Fair Housing Office ↗. After reviewing the details, they determine whether discrimination occurred and outline potential next steps. You do not need an attorney to begin this process.


GOOD TO KNOW

Filing a Fair Housing complaint helps protect not only your own rights, but the rights of other renters who may face similar challenges.


Learn more about your renter rights by
signing up for our free renter education course!