Retaliation

Retaliation is the illegal practice of landlords taking adverse actions against tenants for exercising their legal rights or reporting violations of housing laws. Examples of retaliatory actions may include increasing rent, decreasing services, filing for eviction, or refusing to renew a lease after a tenant has complained about habitability issues, participated in a tenant organization, or filed a legal claim against the landlord. Most states have anti-retaliation laws that prohibit landlords from punishing tenants for engaging in protected activities and provide tenants with legal remedies, such as the right to sue for damages or use retaliation as a defense against eviction.