Lease dictionary
Retaliation
A landlord punishing you for exercising your rights - illegal in nearly every state.
Retaliation is when a landlord raises rent, cuts services, refuses renewal, or files eviction because you did something legally protected: reported a code violation, requested repairs, joined a tenant union.
Most states presume retaliation when adverse action follows a protected act within a set window (often 6–12 months), putting the burden on the landlord to prove otherwise.
Watch out
Make repair requests and complaints in writing - the paper trail is what makes a retaliation defense work later.
See it in action
The Maintenance request letter puts this term to work for you.