Fair Housing: Virginia
This page is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute, and should not be construed as, legal advice. This page is not intended to provide a mandatory standard of care for the industry. Please consult with local counsel before taking any action based off of the information provided.
On these pages, you will find information about 1) the protected classes in each state’s fair housing law, 2) protected classes in the cities and counties in the state’s three largest city or metropolitan areas, and 3) protected class information in additional jurisdictions of interest to NAA members. We highlight source of income protections, where applicable, that could substantially impact industry operations. Please see the footnotes. NAA also has resources on the federal fair housing protections that apply nationwide.
We are currently in the process of optimizing NAA’s Fair Housing Protected Class Resources. If you do not see a jurisdiction of interest, please reach out to the NAA Government Affairs Team at [email protected].
Information on this page is current as of September 2022.
Virginia Protected Classes
(State of Virginia Annotated Code Chapter 5.1 § 36-96.3)
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1"Source of Funds" means any source that lawfully provides funds to or on behalf of a renter or buyer of housing, including any assistance, benefit, or subsidy program, whether such program is administered by a governmental or nongovernmental entity.
This section includes relevant county and city information. Note there could be differences or overlap in the laws’ housing provider obligations.
This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal and state protected classes
Harrisonburg Protected Classes
This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal and state protected classes
(City of Lynchburg Municipal Code)
This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal and state protected classes
(City of Charlottesville Municipal Code §§ 2-431(b); 2-432(a))
In addition to enforcement of federal and state protected classes, this jurisdiction also includes the following protected class:
- Transgender Status
(City of Chesapeake Municipal Code)
This is an independent city, not located within any county
This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal and state protected classes
Newport News Protected Classes
(Newport News Municipal Code §§ 15.1-1 et seq.)
In addition to enforcement of federal and state protected classes, this jurisdiction also includes the following protected class:
- Age
(City of Norfolk Municipal Code § 45.1-2)
This is an independent city, not located within any county
This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal and state protected classes
(Roanoke Municipal Code § 94.01-.10)
In addition to enforcement of federal and state protected classes, this jurisdiction also includes the following protected class:
- Age
This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal and state protected classes
This is an independent city, not located within any county
(Virginia Beach Municipal Code)
This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal and state protected classes
This section includes relevant county and city information. Note there could be differences or overlap in the laws’ housing provider obligations.
This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal and state protected classes
Henrico Protected Classes
Henrico is an unincorporated community in Henrico County
(Petersburg Municipal Code §§ 66-46 et seq.)
In addition to enforcement of federal and state protected classes, this jurisdiction also includes the following protected classes:
- Age
- Marital Status
(City of Richmond Municipal Code §§ 17-2, et seq.; § 17-19)
In addition to enforcement of federal and state protected classes, this jurisdiction also includes the following protected classes:
- Age
- Ancestry
- Marital Status
- Pregnancy/Childbirth/Related Medical Condition
- Source of Funds2
- Transgender Status
2Source of funds means any source that lawfully provides funds to or on behalf of a renter or buyer of housing, including any assistance, benefit, or subsidy program, whether such program is administered by a governmental or nongovernmental entity.
This section includes relevant county and city information. Note there could be differences or overlap in the laws’ housing provider obligations.
This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal and state protected classes
Williamsburg Protected Classes
This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal and state protected classes
This section includes relevant county and city information. Note there could be differences or overlap in the laws’ housing provider obligations.
This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal and state protected classes
Yorktown Protected Classes
Yorktown is a census-designated place of York County
This section includes relevant county and city information. Note there could be differences or overlap in the laws’ housing provider obligations.
(Arlington County Code § 31-3)
In addition to enforcement of federal and state protected classes, this jurisdiction also includes the following protected classes:
- Marital Status
(Alexandia Municipal Code § 12-4-4)
In addition to enforcement of federal and state protected classes, this jurisdiction also includes the following protected classes:
- Age
- Ancestry
- Marital Status
- Transgender Status
This section includes relevant county and city information. Note there could be differences or overlap in the laws’ housing provider obligations.
(Fairfax County Code §§ 2-1 - 2-5; 3-1; 3-4)
In addition to enforcement of federal and state protected classes, this jurisdiction also includes the following protected classes:
- Age
- Marital Status
- Pregnancy/childbirth/related medical condition
Centerville Protected Classes
Centerville is a census-designated place of Fairfax County
Fairfax City Protected Classes
This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal and state protected classes
Falls Church Protected Classes
(Falls Church Municipal Code § 22-79)
This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal and state protected classes
Herndon Protected Classes
This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal and state protected classes
McLean Protected Classes
McLean is a census-designated place of Fairfax
Reston Protected Classes
Reston is a census-designated place of Fairfax
Tyson Protected Classes
Tyson is a census-designated place of Fairfax
This section includes relevant county and city information. Note there could be differences or overlap in the laws’ housing provider obligations.
This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal and state protected classes
Leesburg Protected Classes
This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal, state, and county protected classes
Sterling Protected Classes
Sterling is a census-designated place Loudon County
This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal and state protected classes
This section includes relevant county and city information. Note there could be differences or overlap in the laws’ housing provider obligations.
This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal and state protected classes
Blacksburg Protected Classes
This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal, state, and county protected classes
This section includes relevant county and city information. Note there could be differences or overlap in the laws’ housing provider obligations.
(Prince William County Code §§ 10.1-1 et seq.)
In addition to enforcement of federal and state protected classes, this jurisdiction also includes the following protected classes:
- Age
- Marital Status
- Pregnancy/Childbirth/Related Medical Conditions
Woodbridge Protected Classes
Woodbridge is a census-designated place in Prince William County