The proactive rental inspection Program (PRIP) ordinance

Richmond City Council is scheduled to vote on the proposed Proactive Rental Inspection Program (PRIP) ordinance at their meeting on Monday, July 28th, 2025.

What is the Proactive Rental Inspection Program (PRIP) Ordinance?

Richmond City Council is considering an ordinance to establish a Proactive Rental Inspection Program. This local law would give citizens the ability to work with the City to create rental inspection districts.

Landlords who own property within the rental inspection districts would then be required to pass a basic health and safety inspection before they can rent out an apartment or home.

SO HOW WOULD THIS WORK, ANYWAYS?

  1. City Council would first need to pass the Proactive Rental Inspection Program ordinance.

  2. Neighbors would then work together to petition the City of Richmond to create rental inspection districts. In creating these districts, the City would consider factors such as: resident support for the district, the age and quality of the housing in the area, and the number of code violation cases in the neighborhood.

  3. Once a rental inspection district is established, landlords would be required to pass a basic building code inspection before renting out a residential unit in that area.

  4. Rental properties within the rental inspection district would be also reinspected for health and safety issues periodically - most likely, every couple of years.

Why Is This Proposal A Good Thing For Tenants In Richmond?

This program would help hold landlords accountable for providing safe and habitable rental housing. In addition, routine code inspections can allow property owners to identify and fix maintenance issues early on — before they become more severe or dangerous to residents.

A Proactive Rental Inspection Program can also help prevent retaliation against tenants — if an apartment does not have a rental permit, the building itself may become subject to inspection. Currently, it is up to individual tenants to make a complaint if they are having a housing problem.

This is not a new idea — many other cities in Virginia and around the country have passed similar laws in recent years. In fact, research suggests that proactive rental inspections can help to improve housing quality and safety for tenants.

  • Asheville, NC: Residential fires fell by 50% after a proactive rental inspection ordinance was passed.

  • Greensboro, NC: Proactive inspections of randomly selected rental units contributed to a 58% drop in the number of unsafe homes, along with a 75% reduction in the number of tenant and neighbor complaints.

  • Rochester, NY: A proactive rental inspection program was linked to an 83% reduction in elevated blood lead levels in local children in Monroe County between 1994 and 2011.

Sources: The Richmond City Health District (2025) / The Network for Public Health Law (2022)

What Can I do to help get the ordinance passed?

So glad you asked! You can use the button at the top of this page to sign a digital petition in support of the ordinance. You can also contact your City Council representative to ask them to vote yes on July 28th.

Finally, you can show up in person or virtually to give public comment or show general support at these upcoming City Council meetings:

  • Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025 (3pm) - The Land Use, Housing, and Transportation Standing Committee of the Richmond City Council will be meeting to discuss the proposal.

  • Monday, July 28, 2025 (6pm) - There will be a public hearing during the City Council meeting.

    • To access the meeting virtually (via Microsoft Teams), please use the following link: https://go.rva.gov/Formal-07282025 or dial *67-804-316-9457 and enter ID: 286 127 522#.

City Council and committee meetings are held at Richmond City Hall (900 East Broad St, Richmond, VA 23219).

If you would like to speak, you may contact the City Clerk by calling (804) 646-7955. You may also provide your comments in writing by emailing cityclerksoffice@rva.gov.

Where CAN I Go to learn more about the proposed ordinance?

You can download the full text version of the proposed ordinance by clicking here.

The link above goes to the Richmond, Virginia Legistar website.