Henrico County, VA Rental Inspections: Inspection Programs (2026)

The Residential Rental Inspection Program exists "to promote safe, decent, and sanitary housing in the county" (Sec. 6-175), authorized under Code of Virginia Sec. 1:1. Sec. 6-176 defines a "residential rental dwelling unit" as a leased or rented dwelling unit, excluding an owner-occupied unit unless a tenant occupies a separately equipped part with its own kitchen, bath and sleeping area. Sec. 6-178 designates two rental inspection districts by board finding that units there are blighted, deteriorating, or otherwise need inspection: the Glenwood Farms Rental Inspection District and the St.

Luke Apartments Rental Inspection District, both mapped in the enacting ordinances kept on file with the building official. Under Sec. 6-179, once a district is created, the building official notifies owners or their managing agents, then may inspect units for building-code compliance affecting safe, decent and sanitary conditions. For multifamily developments with more than ten units, the official may inspect only a sample of not less than 2% and not more than 10% of the units, expanding the inspection only if that sample turns up violations.

Follow-up inspections continue until a cited unit is brought into compliance, and otherwise periodic re-inspection of a district is capped at once per calendar year. Sec. 6-180 grants a minimum four-year exemption from further inspection to any unit that passes with no violations, or that received a certificate of occupancy within the prior four years; the building official can revoke that exemption if the unit later falls into violation. Sec. 6-181 ties penalties to the building code itself rather than setting a separate fine. Sec. 1, Chs. 12 and 14) or the building official's separate enforcement duties under Code of Virginia Sec. 36-105.