The Rental Inspection Program has been suspended until March 2016.
If a tenant feels the house they are occupying has become unsafe or not compliant with the building code when the structure was built, they may call the Planning & Community Development Office at 520-9297 and schedule an appointment for an inspection. The Virginia Property Maintenance Code still allows for an inspector to perform inspections as long as he has permission from the occupant to be on the property.

Program Overview

The Rental Inspection Program was established in 2007 by City Council. Its purpose is to address the compliance by owners to the current Virginia Property Maintenance Code. The intent of the code is to make sure that the housing stock does not become unsafe, a public nuisance, and unfit for human habitation.

This program comes under the guise of the Department of Planning and Community Development, Building Inspections Division. All property in the below mentioned districts must be registered and inspected.

Districts

The Rental Inspection Districts are as follows:

• Phase 1 - Shepherd Stadium, Violet Bank and Flora Hill
• Phase 2 - Toll House and Westover Snead
• Phase 3 – Oak Hill, Lakeview and Ellerslie

The boundaries of these areas can be found in the City Code, Chapter 113.

View Map of Rental Inspection Districts

I

nspections

Under the program, once an initial inspection is conducted and no discrepancies are found, a Four Year Exemption Certificate from inspection will be issued based on the date of the inspection. The owner of the property will not be required to obtain another inspection until the certificate of compliance expires.

Please note that the Building Inspections office will contact the homeowner or the owner's designated agent for any required initial inspection. It is the responsibility of the homeowner or their agent to notify the Building Inspections office for any required follow up inspections. If the status of a non-rental or owner-occupied unit should change to rental, the Building Inspections office needs to be notified within (30) days of the change in status. Failure to give required notice is a violation of the ordinance and is subject to the established penalties and enforcement.

Registration Form

The following document is available to download as a PDF file:

• Rental Property Registration Form

Contact Info

Any questions with regard to the program may be directed to:
Bernie Murrell, Building Official
Phone: (804) 520-9298
Fax: (804) 524-8755
murrellb@colonialheightsva.gov