Alexandria, VA Rental Inspections: Tenant Complaint Process (2026)
Key Facts
- Board size
- 9 members: 3 tenants, 3 landlords, 3 neutral
- First step
- Written grievance filed with the officer
- Board hearing deadline
- Scheduled within 10 days of referral
- Decision deadline
- Issued within 14 days of hearing
- Board authority
- Advisory only, no legal force
- Alternative
- Voluntary arbitration if both parties agree
Summary
Alexandria tenants and landlords with an unresolved dispute must first file a written grievance with the city's citizen assistance officer under City Code § 12-5-5, who investigates for probable cause and tries to resolve it through confidential conciliation before the nine-member Landlord-Tenant Relations Board ever gets involved.
Any landlord who has a current unresolved grievance against a tenant of a dwelling or dwelling unit or any tenant who has such a grievance against a landlord of a dwelling or dwelling unit who wishes to resolve the grievance under the provisions of this chapter, must first file the grievance in writing with the officer. Upon the filing of the grievance the officer shall notify the landlord or tenant, as the case may be, and make an investigation to determine whether or not there is probable cause to credit the allegations. If he determines after such an investigation that there is no probable cause to credit the allegations of the grievance the officer shall so notify the landlord and tenant. If the officer, after investigation, determines that there is probable cause to credit the allegations of the grievance, he shall promptly endeavor to eliminate the grievance by conciliation and persuasion. Things said by any landlord or tenant during conciliation efforts shall be kept in confidence.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 156 | Zoning: Supplement 103).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 5 of Title 12 creates the Landlord-Tenant Relations Board, a nine-member body appointed by city council under § 12-5-2: three tenants (at least one low income), three landlords or their representatives, and three residents who are neither, at least one from a minority group. Members serve staggered one- and two-year terms without pay. Any landlord or tenant with a current unresolved grievance must file it in writing with the city manager's designated officer under § 12-5-5. The officer investigates for probable cause; if none is found, both sides are notified and the matter ends there.
If probable cause exists, the officer must "promptly endeavor to eliminate the grievance by conciliation and persuasion," and anything said during those conciliation efforts stays confidential. Only if conciliation fails, and only with the consent of the aggrieved landlord or tenant, does the officer notify the board under § 12-5-6, which must schedule a public hearing within 10 days and issue a written decision within 14 days of the hearing's close. Hearings can proceed without the accused party if that party fails to appear after reasonable notice.
Under § 12-5-9, no board proceeding may run alongside, or begin during, a pending criminal or civil case on the same grievance; filing one in court automatically ends the board process. The board can also arbitrate a dispute under § 12-5-11, but only if both landlord and tenant voluntarily agree.
Violations & Fines
The board's findings and decisions are advisory only and carry no legal force or effect under § 12-5-7: it cannot fine either party, order repairs, or compel compliance. Its practical power is limited to the officer's conciliation efforts and, if both sides agree, voluntary arbitration under § 12-5-11 using procedures city council adopts by resolution. A tenant seeking an enforceable remedy for a habitability or maintenance issue must still pursue it separately in general district court.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a tenant file a complaint against a landlord in Alexandria?
Can the Landlord-Tenant Relations Board force a landlord to fix a problem?
What happens if the grievance is already in court?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alexandria
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