Laws & Regulations

Can You Rent Out a Condo or HOA Home in Richmond, VA?

Yes, a Richmond-area owner may be able to rent out a condo, townhouse, or home in an HOA community, but ownership alone does not answer the question. Before advertising the property or signing a lease, the owner should confirm what the current governing documents say about rental...

Landlord Maintenance Responsibilities in Virginia: Legal Duties and Repair Timelines

Virginia rental owners have a clear legal floor for maintenance. Under the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, a landlord must keep the premises fit and habitable, comply with health and safety codes, maintain supplied systems and appliances, address moisture and mold c...

Rental Fraud in Richmond, VA: Risks, Red Flags, and Prevention

Rental fraud is a real risk for Richmond rental owners, but the useful question is not whether every applicant, listing, or online transaction should be treated with suspicion. The useful question is where verification can break down and which controls prevent a bad transaction f...

Who Is Responsible for Outdoor Hazards in a Richmond Rental: Landlord or Tenant

Outdoor hazards in Richmond rentals are easiest to resolve when the owner starts with the condition, not the label. “Yard work,” “pest control,” and “safety issue” can describe the same problem, but responsibility may change depending on where ...

Fair Housing and Tenant Screening in Richmond: Consistency, Exceptions, and Documentation

Fair Housing risk in tenant screening is not solved by applying every rule mechanically to every applicant. The safer operating goal is a screening system that uses relevant written criteria, reliable information, controlled exceptions, and records that show how each decision was...

Screening International Applicants For Richmond Rentals: Verification That Works Without US Credit

An international applicant can be fully qualified even when a standard U.S. credit file does not exist. The screening problem is not where the applicant came from. It is whether the same rental criteria can be verified with reliable evidence when familiar U.S. documents are missi...

Habitability And Life Safety Basics For Virginia Rentals

Virginia rental habitability starts with a legal floor, but the owner still has to make a practical decision when a maintenance report arrives: Is this a routine defect, an essential-service problem, a health or safety issue, or a condition that is actively getting worse?That dis...

Is Hoarding a Disability Under Fair Housing Law in Virginia?

Yes. Hoarding disorder can qualify as a disability under federal and Virginia Fair Housing law, but not every clutter problem or instance of hoarding behavior is automatically a protected disability. The legal question is whether the resident meets the disability definition and w...

Non-Standard Screening In Virginia Rentals: Verification That Stays Fair And Defensible

Non-standard rental applications are not rare in Virginia. A file may involve a new job, seasonal earnings, self-employment, a landlord who will not verify history, or a credit file that contains less information than expected. None of those facts automatically tells an owner whe...

Virginia's 14-Day Pay or Quit Notice: What Rental Owners Need to Know

Virginia's 14-day nonpayment notice rule is now in effect. Since July 1, 2026, a landlord handling an ordinary residential tenancy covered by the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act must give the tenant 14 days after written notice is served to pay unpaid rent before...