The sound of birds chirping, the smell of fresh-cut grass, and the sight of baseball players reporting to Spring Training are typically signs of a fresh start after the dreariness of winter. This year, however, spring is bringing with it the hope of vaccines in our arms and hugs for loved ones. As we (hopefully) see the light at the end of the tunnel, it would probably be helpful to go over where property management laws and regulations stand. There have been a lot of changes since last March, so it’s understandable if you have trouble keeping track. Luckily, that’s what we’re here for.

• Evictions – This is the big one for property managers and for your landlords. Understandably, there have been lots of protections for tenants to prevent them from being unnecessarily exposed to the virus. There have been multiple federal and state restrictions on evictions, but as of right now, Virginia’s moratorium is most likely to be the controlling law for your landlords and tenants. As a reminder, the restrictions on evictions in this law only cover evictions for unpaid rent. There are no COVID-based restrictions on non-renewal of an expired lease or evictions for violation of the lease terms. For more information, you check out our previous blog post.
• Late rent notices – Virginia law now requires that you provide additional information in your late rent notices. These requirements vary based on how many properties the landlord owns. We’ve drafted two notices that you can access on our website.
• Rules and Regulations – As a reminder, under the Virginia REALTORS^® lease, landlords are able to adopt rules and regulations by which the tenant must abide. Based on our feedback from our PM members, we drafted a COVID-specific R&R document that you can use for your properties. You can access it here. (You must be logged in on our website to access the form.)

While there is certainly good news on the horizon, as your friendly risk management team, we’d be remiss if we didn’t remind you to keep up with the safety habits that you’ve picked up over the past year. Keep washing your hands, wearing a mask, and gathering smartly and safely.