IMPORTANT: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities as Tenants and Landlords
What are the rights of tenants and landlords?
What are the responsibilities of tenants and landlords?
Where can you find information about what tenants and landlords are required to do?
We can start with the Virginia Residential Landlord Tenant Act. That name sounds important, yes? The VRLTA is a primary resource for everyone involved in renting residential real estate to include tenants, landlords, property managers, and real estate agents for tenants and landlords.
The VRLTA is frequently updated, often annually. Reviewing it at least once is important, reviewing it more than once overtime, well, is also important.
The VRLTA applies to all single-family dwellings (e.g., detached homes, townhomes) and multifamily dwellings. There are some exceptions where tenancies and occupancies are not within the scope of the VRLTA. Generally, these exceptions include the following:
Public or private institutions
Fraternal or social organizations
An owner of a condominium unit
Campgrounds
When a tenant pays no rent per the lease
Employees of landlords residing in landlord premises conditioned upon employment by the landlord
When a purchaser resides in a property they are purchasing
Recovery residences
In the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act you will find information regarding topics like required content for leases, recourse by tenants and landlords when the other party is alleged to have violated terms of the lease, matters that must be disclosed by the landlord to tenants regarding the property, deposits and fees, repair and maintenance of the property, property inspections, and much more.
A copy of the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act is available on Veteran Realty’s website here: VRLTA
Reading law can be mind numbing sometimes. Fortunately, there’s a handbook. A handbook sounds like something that would be easier to read. Right? Well, much of the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act handbook is a verbatim copy of the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. Sorry. But, there is additional very useful information in the Handbook introducing additional resources. These include:
The Virginia Fair Housing Office
804-367-8530
fairhousing@dpor.virginia.gov
http://www.dpor.virginia.gov/fairhousing
The Virginia Fair Housing Office is a good resource for people who have been discriminated against in renting a home.
The Virginia Poverty Law Center
804-782-9430
http://www.vplc.org/housing-law
Virginia Legal Aid
866-534-5243
www.valegalaid.org
Virginia Legal Aid assists by introducing local resources and, occasionally, attorney services.
Eviction Legal Helpline
833-663-8428
The Eviction Legal Helpline is for tenants being evicted or at risk of being evicted.
The Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act Handbook is available here: VRLTA Handbook
Virginia’s Department of Housing and Community Development is also an excellent resource for landlords and tenants. On their Landlord Tenant Resources page the office provides – you can see this coming – resources for landlords and tenants. Some forms, contact information for resource providers, and additional informative insight is available.
Property managers, and real estate agents and brokers, are very important resources. Property managers do much more than just manage properties and collect rent. Property managers are agents of the landlord and can provide in-depth expertise in advising their landlord clients. Landlords – recommendation: Ask for a thorough induction of renting topics from your prospective property manager so you’re prepared early. This conversation may also help you decide on which property manager to select. For tenants, property managers are also a valuable resource and may be your first resource as a tenant. They are responsible for managing the property and representing the landlord within the law. This means helping you, too. Although, that assistance does not extend to representation where you may be seeking action against your landlord. Again, property managers represent the landlord.
Real estate agents and brokers play a very important role in helping people seeking homes to rent. With an agency relationship (i.e., a formal agent-client relationship), they represent their tenant clients. This representation includes educating clients about the process of obtaining a rental, terms of the lease, rights and responsibilities per the law, strategies and tactics, and more. Representation also includes negotiating rental terms with landlords. Many agents have direct experience with matters that occur involving their clients and they continuously research and expand their expertise. This can be invaluable for their clients. Start your conversation with an agent seeking this education and understanding how they will represent you. You should feel confident that you will receive the standard of assistance you want.
