HB 393

Abstract

Landlord and tenant; tenant rights and responsibilities. Requires the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development to develop a statement of tenant rights and responsibilities explaining in plain language the rights and responsibilities of tenants under the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (§ 55.1-1200 et seq.) and maintain such statement on the Department's website along with a form to be signed by the parties to a rental agreement. The bill requires that the statement be provided to any prospective tenant and that the form developed by the Department be signed by the parties to the rental agreement. The bill prohibits a landlord from filing or maintaining an action against a tenant in a court of law for any alleged lease violation until he has provided the tenant with the statement of tenant rights and responsibilities. This bill is identical to SB 707.

Landlord and tenant; statement of tenant rights and responsibilities. Requires that the Director of Housing and Community Development develop a statement of tenant rights and responsibilities explaining in plain language the rights and responsibilities of tenants under the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act and maintain such statement on the Department's website. The bill requires the Director to develop and maintain on the Department's website a printable form to be signed by the parties to a written rental agreement acknowledging that the tenant has received from the landlord the statement of tenant rights and responsibilities and requires a landlord to furnish to a prospective tenant, at the time of furnishing an unsigned copy of the proposed written rental agreement, the statement of tenant rights and responsibilities for signature by the parties to the rental agreement. The landlord may not file or maintain an action against the tenant in a court of law for any alleged lease violation until he has provided the tenant with such statement.

Landlord and tenant; tenant rights and responsibilities; Tenant Bill of Rights. Requires that the Director of Housingand Community Development develop a Tenant Bill of Rights explainingin plain language the rights and responsibilities of tenants underthe Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act and maintain suchstatement on the Department's website. The Director must also developand maintain on the Department's website a form to be signed by theparties to a written rental agreement acknowledging that the tenanthas been advised to review the Tenant Bill of Rights. A landlordmust furnish to a prospective tenant, at the time of furnishing anunsigned copy of the proposed written rental agreement, the formcontaining the Tenant Bill of Rights for signature by the partiesto the rental agreement. The landlord is required to provide a copyof the signed Tenant Bill of Rights form to the tenant.