The Virginia General Assembly considered legislation in 2026 that would have initiated a review of temperature standards for multi-family residential buildings across the commonwealth. House Bill 119, introduced early in the session, aimed to direct the Board of Housing and Community Development to assemble a stakeholder advisory group focused on potential updates to the Uniform Statewide Building Code.
This group would have been responsible for assessing modifications related to temperature regulation in Group R-2 buildings, which include apartment complexes and other multi-unit dwellings. The evaluation was to specifically examine requirements for maintaining certain temperature levels in habitable rooms during different seasons.
According to the bill’s provisions, cooling would need to be provided to ensure that habitable rooms do not exceed 77 degrees Fahrenheit between May 1 and October 15. For heating, the minimum temperature in these rooms would be set at 68 degrees Fahrenheit from October 15 through May 1. These standards were part of the changes proposed for consideration in the building code, particularly referencing section 13VAC5-63-540 of the Virginia Administrative Code. The bill detailed the exact parameters for these temperature controls to be evaluated by the group.
The stakeholder group outlined in the legislation was to include a diverse set of participants such as representatives from tenant advocacy organizations, landlords, real estate professionals, public health experts, and additional interested stakeholders. Their role would involve thorough examination of how these temperature regulations could be implemented and what impacts they might have on building operations. The group was set to convene under the direction of the Board of Housing and Community Development.
Findings from the group were due to be presented to the Board of Housing and Community Development and the leadership of the relevant general laws committees in both the House and Senate by no later than November 1, 2026. This timeline allowed for a comprehensive review before any potential legislative action in subsequent sessions. The report would have included recommendations on whether to incorporate the temperature requirements into the code.
However, the legislation did not receive approval and failed during the committee stage. Introduced on January 2, 2026, House Bill 119 was referred to the Committee on Rules, where it remained without further advancement. By February 18, 2026, it was left in that committee, effectively ending its progress through the legislative process. The bill’s defeat occurred before it could reach the floor for a full vote.
The defeat of the bill means that the proposed stakeholder group will not be convened to evaluate these specific temperature requirements for apartment buildings. Property owners and operators in the multi-family housing sector will not face the prospect of new mandates under this particular initiative for ensuring cooling and heating within the defined parameters and time frames. The existing provisions of the Uniform Statewide Building Code remain unchanged regarding these matters.
Adding such temperature regulations to the statewide building code could necessitate significant investments in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems for many apartment buildings. Landlords might incur higher costs for installation, maintenance, and energy usage to meet any eventual standards that could arise from similar evaluations in the future. This could affect the overall economics of operating multi-family housing properties in Virginia.
Real estate professionals have noted that such requirements could limit the ability of property owners to manage their assets in a manner that aligns with market conditions and tenant preferences. The seasonal periods specified in the bill, covering summer months for cooling and winter months for heating, would have required year-round preparedness and monitoring for compliance. Property management would have to account for these fixed temperature targets during the specified periods each year.
The Uniform Statewide Building Code already establishes numerous standards for construction, safety, and habitability in Virginia buildings. Adding temperature regulation as outlined would represent an expansion of these standards to include operational requirements for existing structures in certain categories. The code currently covers a wide range of building aspects but does not include these specific temperature mandates for Group R-2 buildings.
The failure of House Bill 119 prevents this expansion from being studied under the framework proposed in the legislation. This preserves the existing structure of the building code without the addition of these particular temperature-related provisions at the present time. No new stakeholder review process will be initiated as a result of this bill.
Delegate Karen Keys-Gamarra sponsored the measure, which sought to bring together various parties to discuss these issues. Despite the broad representation planned for the advisory group, the bill did not move forward in the legislative process. The sponsorship highlighted the focus on evaluating potential changes to housing standards.
The specific language in the bill called for the evaluation of changes that would require owners and operators to provide cooling and heating services to maintain the listed temperatures in habitable rooms during the respective periods of the year. Every owner and operator of applicable buildings would have been subject to these provisions if the recommendations had led to code amendments.
With the bill’s unsuccessful conclusion, no such requirements will be pursued through this legislative path in the immediate term. Housing providers can continue their current practices regarding temperature management in apartment buildings without the overlay of this proposed review process. The outcome maintains the status quo for building code compliance in multi-family residences.
The detailed provisions of House Bill 119, including the exact temperature thresholds and seasonal dates, were designed to address concerns about thermal comfort in residential settings. Yet, the outcome in the House of Delegates ensures that these elements remain outside the current Uniform Statewide Building Code framework. The specific thresholds of 77 degrees for cooling and 68 degrees for heating were central to the bill’s evaluation proposal.
This development allows for ongoing flexibility in how multi-family housing is operated and maintained throughout Virginia. The stakeholder group, which was to report its recommendations by early November 2026, will not be formed as a result of the bill’s defeat. Property owners retain the discretion to determine appropriate temperature controls based on their individual circumstances and tenant needs.
