Norfolk runs rental inspection districts under Va. Code 36-105.1:1 and City Code Chapter 36.1. Rental homes in designated older neighborhoods must pass a code inspection and hold a certificate of compliance, with a four-year exemption once a unit passes clean.
Norfolk does not register every rental citywide, but it operates rental inspection districts targeting older neighborhoods where housing shows signs of deterioration, as Va. Code 36-105.1:1 allows. City Code Chapter 36.1 governs the program. When a unit inside a district turns over or on written notice, the owner must let a code inspector check it against the Uniform Statewide Building Code. A unit that passes with no violations affecting safe, decent, and sanitary conditions earns a certificate of compliance and at least a four-year exemption. Landlords must keep current contact information on file. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and basic habitability are core checks.
Renting a unit in a district without the required inspection or certificate of compliance draws code-enforcement notices and fines. Failing an inspection triggers a correction order and re-inspection before the unit may be re-rented.
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Norfolk City, VA
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