Hampton, VA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Program
- Housing Improvement Program
- Repair notice window
- 45 days
- Compliance plan window
- 6 months
- Inspection fee
- none charged
- Enforced by
- director of codes compliance
Summary
Hampton's Housing Improvement Program lets the code official inspect high-risk dwellings and order owners of substandard housing to make repairs within 45 days or submit a written compliance plan.
After conducting an inspection and determining that violations are present, the owner or the owner's agent will receive a notice specifying the required repairs or improvements to be made to the building. Unless these violations pose an imminent threat to public safety, the owner will be given forty-five (45) days from the date of a registered letter to either begin corrective action or to submit a written plan describing the proposed corrective action.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 31 | Zoning: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
Under the Housing Improvement Program at Hampton City Code §§ 9-190 through 9-198, dwelling units are flagged for inspection using a risk-point system tied to exterior deterioration, prior maintenance violations and boarded-up status. Once violations are found, § 9-195 requires notice to the owner specifying required repairs; unless the condition is an imminent safety threat, the owner has 45 days from a registered letter to begin corrective action or submit a plan demonstrating good-faith compliance within six months. Failure to correct triggers a summons under the property maintenance code, which § 9-190 defines as the state's Uniform Statewide Building Code, since Hampton administers but cannot rewrite Virginia's substantive building standards.
Violations & Fines
Failing to make ordered repairs under § 9-195 leads to a summons enforced through the state property maintenance code; the city may also seek an injunction to compel corrective action.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a 'substandard' building in Hampton?
How long does an owner have to fix violations?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hampton
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