Operative Text
No landlord of a multifamily dwelling unit shall demand or accept payment of any fee, charge, or other thing of value from any provider of cable television service, cable modem service, satellite master antenna television service, direct broadcast satellite television service, subscription television service, or service of any other television programming system in exchange for granting a television service provider mere access to the landlord's tenants or giving the tenants of such landlord mere access to such service. A landlord may enter into a service agreement with a television service provider to provide marketing and other services to the television service provider designed to facilitate the television service provider's delivery of its services. Under such a service agreement, the television service provider may compensate the landlord for the reasonable value of the services provided and for the reasonable value of the landlord's property used by the television service provider. No landlord shall demand or accept any such payment from any tenants in exchange for such service unless the landlord is itself the provider of the service, nor shall any landlord discriminate in rental charges between tenants who receive any such service and those who do not. Nothing contained in this section shall prohibit a landlord from (i) requiring that the provider of such service and the tenant bear the entire cost of the installation, operation, or removal of the facilities incident to such service or (ii) demanding or accepting reasonable indemnity or security for any damages caused by such installation, operation, or removal.
Virginia Code § 55.1-1222 prohibits landlords of multifamily dwellings from collecting fees or payments from cable, satellite, or other television service providers simply in exchange for allowing those providers access to tenants, or from charging tenants extra for receiving such services (unless the landlord itself is the service provider). Landlords are permitted to enter into legitimate service agreements with providers and receive compensation for actual marketing services rendered or for the use of their property. The rule also bars landlords from charging different rents based on whether a tenant subscribes to a television service, while still allowing landlords to require that installation, operation, and removal costs be borne entirely by the provider and tenant.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Va. Code § 55.1-1222, compliant multifamily landlords refrain from collecting access fees or kickbacks from television service providers simply for the right to reach tenants, and they do not impose surcharges on tenants who subscribe to such services. Operators who wish to work with a television service provider typically structure any financial arrangement as a formal service agreement that compensates the landlord only for genuine marketing services or actual use of the landlord's property. Landlords generally document that installation, operation, and removal costs are assigned to the provider or tenant, and they may require reasonable security or indemnity to cover any property damage from those activities.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Va. Code § 55.1-1222 gives tenants in multifamily dwellings the right not to be charged a premium in their rent simply because they choose to subscribe to a cable, satellite, or other television service, and landlords cannot collect hidden fees from service providers that might otherwise be passed along to tenants. If a tenant believes a landlord is violating this provision—for example, by imposing discriminatory rental charges tied to television service subscriptions—that concern can generally be raised as a defense in a landlord-tenant proceeding or reported to the appropriate state or local authority. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid offices can help residents understand how § 55.1-1222 applies to their housing situation and what general options exist for addressing potential violations.
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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