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

Under VA Code 36-105.1:1, Virginia localities may designate Rental Inspection Districts in areas experiencing blight or deterioration. Norfolk City Council has designated several RIDs covering older neighborhoods near downtown, Park Place, Berkley, and Ocean View. Within these districts, owners of residential rental dwellings must register each unit with the Department of Neighborhood Quality and submit to periodic inspection, generally once every four years or on change of tenancy. Inspections verify compliance with the Virginia Maintenance Code including working smoke alarms, functional plumbing, structural integrity, and absence of lead-based paint hazards in pre-1978 units. The registration fee and inspection fee are set by ordinance. Units passing inspection receive a certificate valid for the next cycle. Outside RID boundaries, Norfolk does not require general rental registration, though all rental properties remain subject to the Virginia Maintenance Code and may be inspected on complaint. Short-term rentals have a separate registration track under Norfolks zoning ordinance.