U.S. Virgin Islands Housing Laws

Many states have housing laws to help protect people who are victims of domestic violence. For example, if you are being abused, you may be able to break your lease and move without having to pay a penalty. Some laws also say that your landlord has to allow you to change the locks to keep the abuser out. Other laws may say that a landlord can’t treat you unfairly (discriminate against you) for being a victim of abuse or evict you just because the police were called to your home.

Housing protections can also be woven into other state laws. For example, restraining order laws could allow a judge to remove (exclude) an abuser from a shared home to protect the victim.

Even if there isn’t a specific Housing Laws section for your state on WomensLaw.org at this time, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your state doesn’t offer any protections. You can check the National Housing Law Project’s State and Local Law Compendium to see what laws your state has.

There are also federal laws that may protect you in some cases. One example is the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). This law might be helpful if you live in or are applying for public housing or Section 8 housing. You can read more in our VAWA Housing Protections section.

If you’re being evicted, you can find helpful resources on the LawHelp.org website. If you want legal advice, you can find free and paid lawyers on our Finding a Lawyer page.

Please note that WomensLaw.org cannot vouch for the information contained on the above-mentioned websites.