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Landlord retaliation: what it means

Landlord retaliation happens when the landlord punishes you for using a legal right. For example, the landlord tries to evict you because you complained in good faith to a government office about health or safety problems in the home, or because you organized with other tenants.

In Spanish it is

Represalia del arrendador (retaliation)

Also written as: retaliatory eviction · retaliation

A man smiles on a bench outside his apartment building.

Verified on October 17, 2026

2 official sources

See the whole dictionary

The full explanation

Not every state recognizes it, and each one defines and proves it differently. In addition, the federal Fair Housing Act prohibits retaliating against a person for filing a housing discrimination complaint or taking part in that process.

An example

After Luis reports to the city that his apartment has no heat, the landlord tells him the lease will not be renewed. In some states, a notice that comes soon after the complaint is treated as a sign of retaliation.

You will see it in…

A tenant's answer in an eviction case (as a defense)
Housing discrimination complaints filed with HUD
Your state's tenant rights page, under retaliation

Words that go with it

You will rarely see this word alone. These are the ones that show up with it on the same papers.

More guides that use “landlord retaliation”

Still confused by a paper?

A HUD-approved housing counselor can walk you through it. Agencies usually charge little or nothing, many work in Spanish, and they do not sell you anything.

What a housing counselor does See free help

Official sources

We sum up what these official sources say, in plain words. We add no rules they do not state; when a rule changes, the definition and its date change.

1. Legal Information Institute (Cornell Law School) · Retaliatory eviction (external site) · in English · Verified on October 17, 2026
2. Legal Information Institute (Cornell Law School) · 24 CFR § 100.400: prohibited interference, coercion or intimidation (external site) · in English · Verified on October 17, 2026