Virginia House Bill 1635 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Completed Legislative Action
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)
Status: Passed on March 23 2023 - 100% progression
Action: 2023-03-23 - Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0435)
Text: Latest bill text (Chaptered) [HTML]

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; uninhabitable dwelling unit. Provides that a tenant may terminate the rental agreement and receive a full refund of all deposits and rent paid to the landlord if, at the beginning of the tenancy, a condition exists in the rental dwelling unit that constitutes a fire hazard or serious threat to the life, health, or safety of tenants or occupants of the premises, including an infestation of rodents or a lack of heat, hot or cold running water, electricity, or adequate sewage disposal facilities, so long as the tenant provides the landlord notice of his intent to terminate the rental agreement within seven days of the date on which possession of the dwelling unit was to have transferred to the tenant. The bill requires the landlord to provide the tenant a refund of all deposits and rent paid on or before the fifteenth business day following the day on which (i) the termination notice is delivered to the landlord or (ii) the tenant vacates the dwelling unit, whichever occurs later, unless the landlord provides to the tenant written notice of his refusal to accept the tenant's termination of the rental agreement, along with the reasons for such refusal, within 15 business days following the date on which such termination notice was delivered to the landlord. The bill also provides that any tenant who has not taken possession or who has vacated the dwelling unit may file an action in a court of competent jurisdiction to contest the landlord's refusal to accept the termination notice, if applicable, and for the return of any deposits and rent paid to the landlord, and allows for the prevailing party in any such action to recover reasonable attorney fees. Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; uninhabitable dwelling unit. Provides that a tenant may terminate the rental agreement and receive a full refund of all deposits and rent paid to the landlord if, at the beginning of the tenancy, a condition exists in the rental dwelling unit that constitutes a fire hazard or serious threat to the life, health, or safety of tenants or occupants of the premises, including an infestation of rodents or a lack of heat, hot or cold running water, electricity, or adequate sewage disposal facilities, so long as the tenant provides the landlord notice of his intent to terminate the rental agreement within seven days of the date on which possession of the dwelling unit was to have transferred to the tenant. The bill requires the landlord to provide the tenant a refund of all deposits and rent paid on or before the fifteenth business day following the day on which (i) the termination notice is delivered to the landlord or (ii) the tenant vacates the dwelling unit, whichever occurs later, unless the landlord provides to the tenant written notice of his refusal to accept the tenant's termination of the rental agreement, along with the reasons for such refusal, within 15 business days following the date on which such termination notice was delivered to the landlord. The bill also provides that any tenant who has not taken possession or who has vacated the dwelling unit may file an action in a court of competent jurisdiction to contest the landlord's refusal to accept the termination notice, if applicable, and for the return of any deposits and rent paid to the landlord, and allows for the prevailing party in any such action to recover reasonable attorney fees.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; uninhabitable dwelling unit.

Del. David Bulova [D]	Del. Alfonso Lopez [D]	Del. Jackie Glass [D]	Del. Kaye Kory [D]
Del. Delores McQuinn [D]	Del. Marcia Price [D]	Del. Jeion Ward [D]

2023-02-20 - Senate - Senate: Passed Senate (26-Y 14-N) (Y: 26 N: 14 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2023-02-17 - Senate - Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (37-Y 0-N) (Y: 37 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 3) [PASS]
2023-02-15 - Senate - Senate: Reported from General Laws and Technology (14-Y 1-N) (Y: 14 N: 1 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2023-02-07 - House - House: VOTE: Block Vote Passage (99-Y 0-N) (Y: 99 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]
2023-02-02 - House - House: Reported from General Laws with substitute (22-Y 0-N) (Y: 22 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2023-01-26 - House - House: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 1-N) (Y: 7 N: 1 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]

Date	Chamber	Action
2023-03-23		Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0435)
2023-03-23		Governor: Approved by Governor-Chapter 435 (effective 7/1/23)
2023-03-02		Governor: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 27, 2023
2023-03-02	House	Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 2, 2023
2023-02-25	Senate	Signed by President
2023-02-23	House	Signed by Speaker
2023-02-23	House	Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1635ER)
2023-02-23	House	Enrolled
2023-02-20	Senate	Passed Senate (26-Y 14-N)
2023-02-20	Senate	Read third time
2023-02-17	Senate	Constitutional reading dispensed (37-Y 0-N)
2023-02-15	Senate	Reported from General Laws and Technology (14-Y 1-N)
2023-02-08	Senate	Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
2023-02-08	Senate	Constitutional reading dispensed
2023-02-07	House	VOTE: Block Vote Passage (99-Y 0-N)
2023-02-07	House	Read third time and passed House BLOCK VOTE (99-Y 0-N)
2023-02-06	House	Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB1635H1
2023-02-06	House	Committee substitute agreed to 23106188D-H1
2023-02-06	House	Read second time
2023-02-05	House	Read first time
2023-02-02	House	Committee substitute printed 23106188D-H1
2023-02-02	House	Reported from General Laws with substitute (22-Y 0-N)
2023-01-26	House	Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 1-N)
2023-01-11	House	Assigned GL sub: Subcommittee #2
2023-01-07	House	Referred to Committee on General Laws
2023-01-07	House	Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/23 23101778D

Chapter	Article	Section	Citation Type	Statute Text
55	1	1234.1	(n/a)	See Bill Text
55	1	1251.1	(n/a)	See Bill Text

Type	Source
Summary	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+sum+HB1635
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+HB1635+hil
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+HB1635H1+hil
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+HB1635ER+hil
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+CHAP0435+hil
Amendment	https://committees.lis.virginia.gov/pdfs/drafts/23104409D.pdf
Amendment	https://committees.lis.virginia.gov/pdfs/23105728D.pdf
Amendment	https://committees.lis.virginia.gov/pdfs/drafts/23106188D.pdf
Supplement	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+oth+HB1635F122+PDF
Supplement	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+oth+HB1635FER122+PDF
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+vot+H1102V0020+HB1635
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+vot+H11V0067+HB1635
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+vot+HV1505+HB1635
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+vot+S12V0156+HB1635
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+vot+SV0567HB1635+HB1635
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+vot+SV0614HB1635+HB1635