Chart: State-by-State Anti-Retaliation Statutes

It is illegal in most states for a landlord to retaliate against a tenant for exercising a legal right. Many statutes, for instance, prohibit a landlord from increasing a tenant's rent or evicting a tenant as retaliation. Anti-retaliation statutes protect a renter's legal right to do the following:

• File a complaint with a government agency or with the landlord about conditions related to the health or safety of the rental unit
• File a complaint with a government agency or file a lawsuit about discriminatory housing practices
• Participate in political or union activity

Below is a list of states with anti-retaliation statutes.

 

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

Ind. Code Section 32-31-9-8

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, 92.332

Utah

Building Monitoring Sys. v. Paxton,905 P.2d 1215 (Utah 1995), see also Utah Renter's Handbook

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

State Anti-Retaliation Statutes: Related Resources

State statutes often get confusing. If you or someone you know is facing a housing discrimination situation, you can do additional research by clicking on the links below. If you need further assistance, you should always contact a local attorney to know your rights.

• Fair Housing Laws: Renters' Protection from Sexual Orientation Discrimination
• Fair Housing: U.S. Supreme Court Cases
• Understanding Your Rights: Housing Discrimination

Learn More About Your State's Anti-Retaliation Statute: Call an Attorney

Depending on which state you're in, landlords may be held liable for retaliating against their tenants. This includes any adverse actions taken against protected individuals (racial minorities, the disabled, etc.). If you believe your landlord has retaliated against you, consider speaking with a landlord-tenant law attorney near you.