HB 804

Abstract

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act;nonrefundable application fee; limitations. Places limitationson when a landlord may charge a nonrefundable application fee inaddition to a refundable application deposit. The bill prohibitsa landlord with more than four rental dwelling units or more thana 10 percent interest in more than four rental dwelling units from charging prospective tenants any nonrefundable application fee inexcess of the amount necessary to reimburse the landlord for anyactual out-of-pocket expenses paid by the landlord to a third party performing a number of pre-occupancy checks on the applicant. Thebill allows an applicant to choose to provide certain informationto the landlord in the form of a portable tenant screening reportin lieu of paying an application fee. When an applicant chooses notto provide such report, a landlord that owns four or fewer rentaldwelling units may charge such applicant actual out-of-pocket expensespaid by the landlord to a third party performing certain pre-occupancychecks on the applicant or, in the case of an application for a publichousing unit, an application fee of no more than $32, including anyactual out-of-pocket expenses paid to a third party by the landlordperforming background, credit, or other pre-occupancy checks on theapplicant.