Virginia Senate Bill 1215 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)
Status: Engrossed on February 1 2021 - 50% progression, died in chamber
Action: 2021-02-08 - Continued to Special Session 1 in General Laws by voice vote
Text: Latest bill text (Engrossed) [HTML]

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; tenant remedies for exclusion from dwelling unit, interruption of services, or actions taken to make premises unsafe. Provides that a general district court shall enter an order upon petition by a tenant that his landlord has (i) removed or excluded the tenant from the dwelling unit unlawfully, (ii) interrupted or caused the interruption of an essential service to the tenant, or (iii) taken action to make the premises unsafe for habitation. The bill allows entry of a preliminary order ex parte to require the landlord to allow the tenant to recover possession of the dwelling unit, resume any such interrupted essential service, or fix any willful actions taken by the landlord or his agent to make the premises unsafe for habitation if there is good cause to do so and the tenant made reasonable efforts to notify the landlord of the hearing. The bill requires that any ex parte order entered shall further indicate a date for a full hearing on the petition that is no later than 10 days from the initial hearing date. Finally, the bill provides that, at a full hearing on such petition and upon proper evidence presented, the tenant shall recover actual damages, the greater of $5,000 or four months' rent, and reasonable attorney fees. Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; tenant remedies for exclusion from dwelling unit, interruption of services, or actions taken to make premises unsafe. Provides that a general district court shall enter an order upon petition by a tenant that his landlord has (i) removed or excluded the tenant from the dwelling unit unlawfully, (ii) interrupted or caused the interruption of an essential service to the tenant, or (iii) taken action to make the premises unsafe for habitation. The bill allows entry of a preliminary order ex parte to require the landlord to allow the tenant to recover possession of the dwelling unit, resume any such interrupted essential service, or fix any willful actions taken by the landlord or his agent to make the premises unsafe for habitation if there is good cause to do so and the tenant made reasonable efforts to notify the landlord of the hearing. The bill requires that any ex parte order entered shall further indicate a date for a full hearing on the petition that is no later than 10 days from the initial hearing date. Finally, the bill provides that, at a full hearing on such petition and upon proper evidence presented, the tenant shall recover actual damages, the greater of $5,000 or four months' rent, and reasonable attorney fees.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; tenant remedies for exclusion from dwelling unit.

Sen. Adam Ebbin [D]

Sen. Jennifer Boysko [D]

Sen. Ghazala Hashmi [D]

Sen. Jennifer McClellan [D]

2021-02-02 - Senate - Senate: Read third time and passed Senate (27-Y 12-N) (Y: 27 N: 12 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2021-01-29 - Senate - Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (35-Y 0-N) (Y: 35 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 4) [PASS]
2021-01-27 - Senate - Senate: Reported from General Laws and Technology with amendment (13-Y 0-N 2-A) (Y: 13 N: 0 NV: 2 Abs: 0) [PASS]

Date	Chamber	Action
2021-02-08	House	Continued to Special Session 1 in General Laws by voice vote
2021-02-05	House	Referred to Committee on General Laws
2021-02-05	House	Read first time
2021-02-05	House	Placed on Calendar
2021-02-02	Senate	Read third time and passed Senate (27-Y 12-N)
2021-02-01	Senate	Printed as engrossed 21102805D-E
2021-02-01	Senate	Engrossed by Senate as amended SB1215E
2021-02-01	Senate	Committee amendment agreed to
2021-02-01	Senate	Reading of amendment waived
2021-02-01	Senate	Read second time
2021-01-29	Senate	Constitutional reading dispensed (35-Y 0-N)
2021-01-27	Senate	Reported from General Laws and Technology with amendment (13-Y 0-N 2-A)
2021-01-11	Senate	Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
2021-01-11	Senate	Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/13/21 21102805D

SB1215 (Carry Over) 2021-02-08 - Continued to Special Session 1 in General Laws by voice vote

Chapter	Article	Section	Citation Type	Statute Text
55	1	1243	(n/a)	See Bill Text
55	1	1243.1	(n/a)	See Bill Text

Type	Source
Summary	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?211+sum+SB1215
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?211+ful+SB1215+hil
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?211+ful+SB1215E+hil
Amendment	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?211+amd+SB1215AS
Amendment	https://committees.lis.virginia.gov/pdfs/drafts/21103517A.pdf
Supplement	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?211+oth+SB1215F122+PDF
Supplement	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?211+oth+SB1215FE122+PDF
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?211+vot+S12V0051+SB1215
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?211+vot+SV0184SB1215+SB1215
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?211+vot+SV0241SB1215+SB1215