Right to Be Free from Retaliation

The Right to Be Free from Retaliation is a legal protection that prohibits landlords from taking adverse actions against tenants for exercising their legal rights or reporting violations of housing laws. This right is based on the principle that tenants should be able to assert their rights without fear of retribution from their landlords. 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. In most states, landlords are presumed to have acted in retaliation if they take negative actions against a tenant within a certain timeframe after the tenant has engaged in protected activities. If a tenant can prove that their landlord’s actions were retaliatory, they may have the right to sue for damages, obtain an injunction to prevent further retaliation, or use the retaliation as a defense against an eviction.