Chesapeake, VA Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)

Chesapeake does not require every landlord to register with the city; the duty only applies inside a designated rental inspection district, mapped by census tract and block group under Sec. 14-113(a) and covering parts of the city's Washington, South Norfolk, Pleasant Grove, Deep Creek and Western Branch boroughs. City council designates these districts only after a public hearing required by Va. 1:1, based on findings that the rental housing is blighted, deteriorating, or otherwise needs inspection to protect tenants' health, safety and welfare; council can add or drop districts later by petition or its own motion, again after a public hearing.

Inside a district, Sec. 14-114 requires the owner of every dwelling unit, not just known rentals, to notify the director of development and permits in writing if the unit is used for residential rental purposes. 00 civil penalty per unit. The city treats notice mailed first-class to the owner's address of record on the real estate tax assessment rolls as legally sufficient, whether or not the owner actually receives it. Registration feeds directly into the periodic inspection cycle set out in Sec. 14-115 for the same districts.