diff --git a/apps/virtual/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/incubator/net/virtual/codec/VirtualHostCodec.java b/apps/virtual/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/incubator/net/virtual/codec/VirtualHostCodec.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2ddb589
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/virtual/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/incubator/net/virtual/codec/VirtualHostCodec.java
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2018-present Open Networking Foundation
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package org.onosproject.incubator.net.virtual.codec;
+
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonNode;
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.node.ArrayNode;
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.node.ObjectNode;
+import org.onlab.packet.IpAddress;
+import org.onlab.packet.MacAddress;
+import org.onlab.packet.VlanId;
+import org.onosproject.codec.CodecContext;
+import org.onosproject.codec.JsonCodec;
+import org.onosproject.incubator.net.virtual.DefaultVirtualHost;
+import org.onosproject.incubator.net.virtual.NetworkId;
+import org.onosproject.incubator.net.virtual.VirtualHost;
+import org.onosproject.net.DeviceId;
+import org.onosproject.net.HostId;
+import org.onosproject.net.HostLocation;
+import org.onosproject.net.PortNumber;
+
+import java.util.HashSet;
+import java.util.Iterator;
+import java.util.Set;
+
+import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkNotNull;
+import static org.onlab.util.Tools.nullIsIllegal;
+
+/**
+ * Codec for the VirtualHost class.
+ */
+public class VirtualHostCodec extends JsonCodec<VirtualHost> {
+
+    // JSON field names
+    static final String NETWORK_ID = "networkId";
+    static final String HOST_ID = "id";
+    static final String MAC_ADDRESS = "mac";
+    static final String VLAN = "vlan";
+    static final String IP_ADDRESSES = "ipAddresses";
+    static final String HOST_LOCATION = "locations";
+
+    private static final String NULL_OBJECT_MSG = "VirtualHost cannot be null";
+    private static final String MISSING_MEMBER_MSG = " member is required in VirtualHost";
+
+    @Override
+    public ObjectNode encode(VirtualHost vHost, CodecContext context) {
+        checkNotNull(vHost, NULL_OBJECT_MSG);
+
+        final JsonCodec<HostLocation> locationCodec =
+                context.codec(HostLocation.class);
+        final ObjectNode result = context.mapper().createObjectNode()
+                .put(NETWORK_ID, vHost.networkId().toString())
+                .put(HOST_ID, vHost.id().toString())
+                .put(MAC_ADDRESS, vHost.mac().toString())
+                .put(VLAN, vHost.vlan().toString());
+
+        final ArrayNode jsonIpAddresses = result.putArray(IP_ADDRESSES);
+        for (final IpAddress ipAddress : vHost.ipAddresses()) {
+            jsonIpAddresses.add(ipAddress.toString());
+        }
+        result.set(IP_ADDRESSES, jsonIpAddresses);
+
+        final ArrayNode jsonLocations = result.putArray("locations");
+        for (final HostLocation location : vHost.locations()) {
+            jsonLocations.add(locationCodec.encode(location, context));
+        }
+        result.set("locations", jsonLocations);
+
+        return result;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public VirtualHost decode(ObjectNode json, CodecContext context) {
+        if (json == null || !json.isObject()) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        NetworkId nId = NetworkId.networkId(Long.parseLong(extractMember(NETWORK_ID, json)));
+        MacAddress mac = MacAddress.valueOf(json.get("mac").asText());
+        VlanId vlanId = VlanId.vlanId((short) json.get("vlan").asInt(VlanId.UNTAGGED));
+
+        Set<HostLocation> locations = new HashSet<>();
+        JsonNode locationNodes = json.get("locations");
+        locationNodes.forEach(locationNode -> {
+            PortNumber portNumber = PortNumber.portNumber(locationNode.get("port").asText());
+            DeviceId deviceId = DeviceId.deviceId(locationNode.get("elementId").asText());
+            locations.add(new HostLocation(deviceId, portNumber, 0));
+        });
+
+        HostId id = HostId.hostId(mac, vlanId);
+
+        Iterator<JsonNode> ipStrings = json.get("ipAddresses").elements();
+        Set<IpAddress> ips = new HashSet<>();
+        while (ipStrings.hasNext()) {
+            ips.add(IpAddress.valueOf(ipStrings.next().asText()));
+        }
+
+        return new DefaultVirtualHost(nId, id, mac, vlanId, locations, ips);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Extract member from JSON ObjectNode.
+     *
+     * @param key key for which value is needed
+     * @param json JSON ObjectNode
+     * @return member value
+     */
+    private String extractMember(String key, ObjectNode json) {
+        return nullIsIllegal(json.get(key), key + MISSING_MEMBER_MSG).asText();
+    }
+}