Cal. Civ. Code § 36-96.21
Powers of counties, cities and towns.
Operative Text
A. Any county, city or town which has any ordinance in effect on January 1, 1991, enacted under the Virginia Fair Housing Law (§ 36-96.1 et seq.), the Virginia Human Rights Act (§ 2.2-3900 et seq.), or any other applicable state law may continue to enforce such ordinance and may amend the ordinance, provided the amendment is not inconsistent with this chapter. Nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit any county, city or town under this subsection from submitting amended ordinances to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for substantial equivalency pursuant to Title VIII, Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. §§ 3604-3606), as amended. B. The governing body of any county, city or town may enact ordinances in accordance with the provisions of this chapter provided that (i) such ordinances conform to this chapter and are enacted prior to September 30, 1992, and (ii) such amended ordinances are submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for a determination of substantial equivalency pursuant to Title VIII, Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. §§ 3604-3606), as amended.
Va. Code § 36-96.21 addresses the relationship between Virginia's Fair Housing Law and local government authority. Under this provision, localities that already had qualifying fair-housing ordinances in place as of January 1, 1991, are permitted to keep enforcing and amending those ordinances, so long as any amendments remain consistent with the state chapter. Additionally, any county, city, or town may enact new fair-housing ordinances, provided those ordinances conform to state law, were enacted before September 30, 1992, and were submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for a substantial equivalency determination under the federal Fair Housing Act.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating in Virginia should be aware that, under Va. Code § 36-96.21, local jurisdictions may have their own fair-housing ordinances that carry independent enforcement authority alongside state law. A compliant operator generally familiarizes themselves with both the state-level Virginia Fair Housing Law and any applicable local ordinances in the county, city, or town where their properties are located. Where a locality has obtained substantial equivalency status from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, local enforcement agencies may handle fair-housing complaints in addition to or instead of state agencies.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Va. Code § 36-96.21 means that tenants in Virginia may have fair-housing protections at both the state and local levels, depending on where they live. If a county, city, or town enacted a qualifying ordinance and that ordinance has been recognized as substantially equivalent by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, local enforcement channels may be available as a path for raising a fair-housing concern. Tenants who believe their rights under local or state fair-housing law have been violated may wish to contact a local tenant-rights organization or the relevant local agency to understand what complaint processes are available in their jurisdiction.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 22, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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