Norfolk, VA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Norfolk Code § 11.1-72
- Applies in
- Designated conservation/rehabilitation planning districts only
- Application deadline
- 5 working days before move-in
- Permit validity
- Duration of occupancy or 1 year
- Penalty
- Class 4 misdemeanor under § 11.1-83
- Seller duty
- Deliver status-of-occupancy report before sale
Summary
Norfolk requires a property maintenance code official's occupancy permit before any dwelling unit can be reoccupied inside the city's designated conservation and rehabilitation planning districts. Norfolk Code of Ordinances § 11.1-72 makes it unlawful for an owner or agent to let a vacated unit be reoccupied, whether by a new tenant or a returning one, without that permit issued first.
In areas designated by this article, or by any further amendments thereto, it shall be unlawful for any person to reoccupy or for any owner or agent thereof to permit the reoccupation of any dwelling unit vacant on or vacated after the effective date of this article until an occupancy permit has been issued by the property maintenance code official.
(Ord. No. 34,384, § 1, 3-17-87; Ord. No. 35,627, § 4, 7-5-89; Ord. No. 36,932, § 2, 7-28-92; Ord. No. 39,268, § 1, 8-18-98; Ord. No. 39,590, § 9, 5-18-99)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 166).
Full Breakdown
1-80. 1-72 makes it unlawful for any owner or agent to permit reoccupation of a dwelling unit that has gone vacant, whether by a new resident or a returning one, until the property maintenance code official issues an occupancy permit. 1-73, the owner or agent must apply for that permit at least five working days before the proposed move-in date, and knowingly making a false statement on the application is itself unlawful. 1-71 defines 'vacancy' broadly: it occurs whenever an owner or tenant stops using the unit as a place of abode, including when someone sharing a rental unit with unrelated persons stops residing there.
1-76, and the owner may change occupants during that window without reapplying as long as the unit does not exceed the number of occupants the permit authorizes. 1-78 requires a 'status of occupancy permit report' be delivered to a buyer before any sale closes, disclosing the unit's occupancy-permit history and the date and result of its last inspection. 1-83, and the property maintenance code official can prosecute by summons. 1-84 for a partial-compliance allowance.
Violations & Fines
Reoccupying a dwelling unit inside a designated district without a property maintenance code official's occupancy permit, or falsifying an occupancy permit application, is a class 4 misdemeanor under § 11.1-83. The official can have a summons issued requiring the owner, agent, or occupant to answer the charge in court; selling a unit without delivering the required status-of-occupancy report under § 11.1-78 is separately unlawful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every Norfolk rental need an occupancy permit before a new tenant moves in?
How far ahead does a Norfolk landlord need to apply for an occupancy permit?
What happens if a Norfolk owner reoccupies a covered unit without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Norfolk
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