Virginia Code 55.1-1209.1: Employees of the landlord; rental dwelling unit keys and electronic key codes; policies and procedures.
A. As used in this section, “key” means any physical or electronic mechanism used to gain access to a rental dwelling unit.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 55.1-1209.1
- Dwelling unit: means a structure or part of a structure that is used as a home or residence by one or more persons who maintain a household, including a manufactured home, as defined in § Virginia Code 55.1-1200
- Landlord: means the owner, lessor, or sublessor of the dwelling unit or the building of which such dwelling unit is a part. See Virginia Code 55.1-1200
- Person: means any individual, group of individuals, corporation, partnership, business trust, association, or other legal entity, or any combination thereof. See Virginia Code 55.1-1200
- real estate: includes lands, tenements and hereditaments, and all rights and appurtenances thereto and interests therein, other than a chattel interest. See Virginia Code 1-219
- Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
B. Any landlord who owns more than 200 rental dwelling units that are attached to the same piece of real property in the Commonwealth shall establish:
1. A policy requiring any applicant for employment in any position that will have access to keys for each rental dwelling unit to be subject to a pre-employment criminal history records check; and
2. Written policies and procedures regarding the (i) storage, issuance and return, and security of; (ii) access to; and (iii) if applicable, usage and deactivation of rental dwelling unit keys and electronic key codes.
C. The provisions of this section shall not apply to (i) a financial institution, as defined in § 6.2-100, or (ii) any person who is a real estate licensee pursuant to Chapter 21 of Title 54.1.
2023, c. 432.