VA residential tenants "may" have a lease relationship under the VRLTA - Virginia Residential Landlord Tenant Act - DEPENDING on the # of and type of residential rental units the property owner may own.,

If the rented residence is a SFR - single family residence - it is doubtful the VRLTA is applicable so the tenancy may be a "common law" or under the Virginia Landlord Tenant Act which is more "landlord friendly".

RickJ

I see the following under exemptions from the chapter:

"Occupancy in single-family residences where the owner(s) are natural persons or their estates who own in their own name no more than ten single-family residences subject to a rental agreement; or in the case of condominium units or single-family residences located in any city or in any county having either the urban county executive form or county manager plan of government, no more than four."

I'm not sure how or if this changes the responsibilities of the landlord or not - as there is likely not a responsibility of a tenant to verify how many properties the landlord owns.

Either way, VA tenants: Be sure you read and understand your Lease, as it is a contract. Be sure you are agreeing to abide by it's terms before you sign it.

excon

Hello:

I too read the statute. And, I too don't understand it.

Landlord Tenant laws protect BOTH parties. I don't understand why one of those parties WOULDN'T be protected because the other party owns more real estate than an average landlord.

I agree with rick. It oughtn’t be a tenants concern how much real estate his potential landlord owns.

excon

Cvillecpm

As a VA property manager, my property clients who hold their VA property in their own name(s) and who own less than 4 rental homes in ANYWHERE in the WORLD - don't have to rent their VA property under the VRLTA.

Holding property in an LLC also exempts them since each LLC is a different entity.

I posted my comment because many VA tenants who have lived in a multi-unit VA property under the VRLTA and who get my 6 page non-VRLTA lease are often confused. They expect interest on their deposit which they are not going to get; they expect to receive a 5-day pay or quit notice if their rent is late and they are not because I am not required to send them one; they think they can provide me with a 21/30 to correct minor repair items and courts won't take their money since their lease is not under the VRLTA.

RickJ

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing that, Cvillecpm.