Newport News, VA Rental Inspections: Tenant Complaint Process (2026)
Key Facts
- Request method
- by telephone to codes compliance
- Prerequisite
- owner notice + fee paid first
- Inspection fee
- $50 per dwelling unit
- Scope
- units in inspection districts only
Summary
Anyone can call the Newport News codes compliance department by telephone to request a rental unit inspection, but the department still needs notice from the property owner and payment of the inspection fee before it will inspect.
Requests for an inspection may be made by telephone; provided that the department of codes compliance shall, in all cases, receive notice from the owner and payment of the applicable inspection fees prior to conducting any inspection required under this article.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 81).
Full Breakdown
Under the rental inspection certificate article, § 13-198(b) lets inspection requests be made by phone rather than requiring a written application. That said, the department will not actually conduct the inspection required under the article until it has received notice from the owner and the applicable fee, $50 per dwelling unit under § 13-198(a), has been paid. This governs requests tied to the certificate-of-compliance program in mapped rental inspection districts, not a general nuisance hotline.
Violations & Fines
There is no separate penalty for making a request; but an owner who fails to arrange or allow the resulting inspection is in violation of the article and subject to the penalties and right-of-entry provisions of § 13-200.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to submit a written request for a rental inspection?
Does this cover all rental complaints citywide?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Newport News
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