Can a victim of domestic abuse be evicted from their home?

In Virginia, there is a law to protect victims of domestic abuse from being evicted from their home. The Domestic Abuse and Family Violence Act, or “DFAVA”, states that landlords are not allowed to evict tenants or refuse to renew the tenant’s lease based solely on the fact that the tenant was a victim of domestic abuse. The DFAVA also prohibits landlords from discriminating against victims based on requests to change locks or other safety measures. Victims of domestic violence can ask the landlord to change the locks on the doors to the rental unit without being penalized. However, if a tenant is threatening the safety of other tenants or damaging property, the landlord may lawfully evict them. The DFAVA does not protect victims from eviction for any reasons other than the fact that they are victims of domestic abuse. In addition, if a tenant is behind on rent payments, the landlord may pursue an eviction. However, the landlord must provide the tenant with a written notice of the eviction and an opportunity to catch up on payments before beginning the eviction process. Overall, the Domestic Abuse and Family Violence Act in Virginia provides tenants who are victims of domestic abuse special protections with regard to eviction. Therefore, in most cases victims of domestic abuse cannot be evicted from their home in Virginia.

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Can a victim of domestic abuse be evicted from their home?

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