Question 1

Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in California?

Accepted Answer

No. In California, a landlord may not recover possession, raise the rent or cut services within 180 days after a tenant who is current on rent makes a good-faith repair request, complains to a government agency about habitability, or wins a habitability case, and threatening to report a tenant to immigration authorities is retaliation. A tenant may use the 180-day protection once in any 12 months, and a landlord who states a good-faith reason in the notice may still act within the period. Separately, the federal Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to threaten or interfere with anyone for exercising fair housing rights. This is Cal. Civ. Code § 1942.5.

Question 2

Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Texas?

Accepted Answer

No. In Texas, for six months after a tenant in good faith exercises a legal right, gives a repair notice, complains to a code agency or utility, or joins a tenant organization, a landlord may not retaliate by filing an eviction, cutting services, raising the rent or ending the lease. An eviction is not retaliation if the tenant is behind on rent, damaged the property, threatened someone’s safety, or materially breached the lease. Separately, the federal Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to threaten or interfere with anyone for exercising fair housing rights. This is Tex. Prop. Code §§ 92.331, 92.332.

Question 3

Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Florida?

Accepted Answer

No. In Florida, it is unlawful for a landlord to single a tenant out for a rent increase or a cut in services, or to bring or threaten an eviction, primarily to retaliate against a tenant who acted in good faith, such as by complaining to a code agency, joining a tenant organization, giving the landlord a repair notice, or exercising fair housing rights. No period of presumed retaliation applies, and the defense fails if the landlord proves the eviction is for good cause, such as nonpayment of rent. Separately, the federal Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to threaten or interfere with anyone for exercising fair housing rights. This is Fla. Stat. § 83.64.

Question 4

Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in New York?

Accepted Answer

No. In New York, a landlord may not serve a notice to quit, start an eviction or substantially change the tenancy, including refusing to renew, in retaliation for a good-faith complaint about health, safety or habitability or for tenant organizing, and doing so within one year after the complaint or a resulting inspection or order is presumed retaliatory. The section does not apply to owner-occupied buildings with fewer than four units. Separately, the federal Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to threaten or interfere with anyone for exercising fair housing rights. This is N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 223-b.

Question 5

Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Illinois?

Accepted Answer

No. In Illinois, since January 1, 2025, a landlord may not knowingly end a tenancy, raise the rent, cut services, sue or threaten to sue for possession, or refuse to renew because a tenant acted in good faith to report code violations or exercise protected rights, and evidence of protected activity within one year before the landlord’s action creates a rebuttable presumption of retaliation. A tenant who proves retaliation may recover two months’ rent or twice their damages, whichever is greater, plus attorney’s fees. Separately, the federal Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to threaten or interfere with anyone for exercising fair housing rights. This is 765 ILCS 721/5, 721/20.

Question 6

Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Ohio?

Accepted Answer

No. In Ohio, a landlord may not retaliate by raising the rent, cutting services, or bringing or threatening an eviction because a tenant complained to a government agency about a health or safety code violation, complained to the landlord about a required repair, or joined other tenants to bargain collectively. A tenant may use retaliation as a defense to an eviction or end the lease, and the statute sets no period of presumed retaliation. Separately, the federal Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to threaten or interfere with anyone for exercising fair housing rights. This is Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.02.

Question 7

Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Georgia?

Accepted Answer

No. In Georgia, a tenant makes a prima facie case of retaliation by showing the landlord filed an eviction, raised the rent, cut services or took a similar action within three months after the tenant acted in good faith to report or request repairs of a health or safety problem or to exercise a legal right. Retaliation is a defense to the eviction, and the tenant may recover one month’s rent plus $500, but a tenant who is behind on rent cannot rely on it. Separately, the federal Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to threaten or interfere with anyone for exercising fair housing rights. This is O.C.G.A. § 44-7-24.

Question 8

Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in North Carolina?

Accepted Answer

No. In North Carolina, a tenant may defend an eviction as retaliatory by showing it was substantially in response to a good-faith repair request, code complaint, government complaint, attempt to enforce rights, or tenant organizing that occurred within 12 months before the case was filed. The landlord still prevails if the tenant breached the lease, such as by not paying rent, among other listed exceptions. Separately, the federal Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to threaten or interfere with anyone for exercising fair housing rights. This is N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-37.1.

State	Retaliation period	Source
Alabama	Prohibited; no set period	Ala. Code § 35-9A-501
Alaska	Prohibited; no set period	Alaska Stat. § 34.03.310
Arizona	Presumed within 6 months	A.R.S. § 33-1381
California	Barred for 180 days	Cal. Civ. Code § 1942.5
Colorado	Prohibited; no set period	C.R.S. § 38-12-509
Connecticut	Barred for 6 months	Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-20, 47a-20a
Delaware	Presumed within 90 days	25 Del. C. § 5516
District of Columbia	Presumed within 6 months	D.C. Code § 42-3505.02
Florida	Prohibited; no set period	Fla. Stat. § 83.64
Georgia	Presumed within 3 months	O.C.G.A. § 44-7-24
Hawaii	Prohibited; no set period	Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-74
Illinois	Presumed within 1 year	765 ILCS 721/5, 721/20
Iowa	Presumed within 1 year	Iowa Code § 562A.36
Kansas	Prohibited; no set period	K.S.A. § 58-2572
Kentucky	Presumed within 1 year (URLTA areas)	KRS § 383.705; KRS § 383.500
Maine	Presumed within 6 months	14 M.R.S. § 6001
Maryland	Protected for 6 months	Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-208.1
Massachusetts	Presumed within 6 months	M.G.L. c. 186, § 18
Michigan	Presumed within 90 days	MCL 600.5720
Minnesota	Presumed within 90 days	Minn. Stat. §§ 504B.285, 504B.441
Montana	Presumed within 6 months	Mont. Code § 70-24-431
Nebraska	Prohibited; no set period	Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1439
Nevada	Prohibited; no set period	NRS 118A.510
New Hampshire	Presumed within 6 months	RSA 540:13-a, 540:13-b
New Jersey	Presumed; no time limit	N.J.S.A. 2A:42-10.10; N.J.S.A. 2A:42-10.12
New Mexico	Protected for 6 months	N.M. Stat. § 47-8-39
New York	Presumed within 1 year	N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 223-b
North Carolina	Protected for 12 months	N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-37.1
Ohio	Prohibited; no set period	Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.02
Oregon	Prohibited; no set period	ORS 90.385
Rhode Island	Presumed within 6 months	R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-46
South Carolina	Prohibited; no set period	S.C. Code § 27-40-910
South Dakota	Protected for 180 days	SDCL § 43-32-27
Tennessee	Prohibited; no set period (URLTA counties)	Tenn. Code §§ 66-28-514, 66-28-102
Texas	Barred for 6 months	Tex. Prop. Code §§ 92.331, 92.332
Vermont	Presumed within 90 days	9 V.S.A. § 4465
Virginia	Prohibited; no set period	Va. Code § 55.1-1258
Washington	Presumed within 90 days	RCW 59.18.240, 59.18.250
Wisconsin	Prohibited; no set period	Wis. Stat. § 704.45

Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining?

Retaliation period, state by state

The answer in full, for the biggest rental markets