After a tenant reports a housing code violation, which statement best reflects landlord behavior?

• A. The landlord may increase rent
• B. The landlord may terminate the lease
• C. The landlord may not take either action
• D. The landlord may both increase rent and terminate the lease

Answer: (C)

Protecting tenants from retaliation. When a tenant reports a housing code violation, the landlord cannot punish them for that action by taking retaliatory steps like increasing rent or terminating the lease. The law aims to ensure tenants can report unsafe or illegal conditions without fear of eviction or price hikes tied to their complaints. So, after a tenant makes a report, the landlord may not raise the rent or end the lease as a response. Any rent increase or eviction must be for legitimate, non-retaliatory reasons unrelated to the complaint. That’s why the statement that best reflects landlord behavior is that the landlord may not take either action.