Tenant Complaint Instructions
If you are having trouble with your landlord or management company not responding to repair request, you may complete this 14-day letter for repair request and a copy of your written request will be emailed to the City inspections office.
In the event the responsible party does not make the repairs within a reasonable time-frame, YOU (the complainant) must call the City 434-455-3910 to schedule an appointment with the Inspections Department, in order to conduct an official housing-based inspection (the rental program inspection will be at a later date). Once an inspection has been scheduled, an official case Housing Case will be opened generating a case number.
This is a courtesy 14-Day letter, as Owner compliance is preferred. However, if repairs are not corrected, the City of Lynchburg Inspections Department may conduct an inspection for the possible listed complaints/violations, along with any additional items observed during the inspection.
Responsible parties are; the Owner of the City record, the management agency/individual, and the occupant(s). If an inspection is conducted, sanitation and other occupant related code violations may be cited. All building code notice of violations reports are subject to court action and criminal charges for all responsible parties.
Rental complaints in the Rental Inspection District, not registered with the fee-based Lynchburg Residential Inspection Program, will automatically be added to the program and scheduled for an inspection at a later date.
- Download the form to your computer as a PDF, Print or save the website link address to this complaint form for your records.
- Email/text/bring a copy this complaint to landlord/management company or contact person responsible for making repairs (please allow a couple of days for your party making repairs to receive this notice).
- If the responsible party does not receive a copy of the complaint form allowing 14 days to self-comply. The Inspections Department will restart the 14-day time-frame from the date the owner-manager received the notice.
- After completing the form, you can email a copy of this 14-day repair request to your landlord/management company and or contact the person responsible for making the repairs.
- Please print or save a copy of this form for your records.
- Occupants cannot refuse maintenance personnel or owner entrance in order to make/abate repairs. Most repairs may not be completed on an occupants’ schedule or convenience.
- Animals in dwelling/room/house are not excuses to refuse repairs.
- Occupant/complainant agrees not to impede/refuse/delay repairs and allow owner/agent /maintenance/contactor access for the remediation of all the repair(s) requested.
- Changed locks is not an excuse to refuse repairs
- Occupants’ and Owners’ please review the Virginia Residential Landlord Tenant Act to understand your rights and expected residential civil processes: Criminal process is separate, under the Building Codes of Virginia. https://www.dhcd.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/Docx/landlord-tenant/2019-landlord-tenant-handbook.pdf
- Review the Rental Program website for resources and information https://www.lynchburgva.gov/rental-program
- Responsible parties are the owner of record, management agency/personnel, AND the occupant(s). If an inspection is conducted, sanitation and other occupant related code violations may be cited.
- All building code notice of violations reports is subject to court action and criminal charges for all responsible parties.
- Non-payment or on-time payment of rent/monies/etc. does not excuse building code violations or unsanitary living conditions from owners’ / occupants’
City Code
- Sec. 11-6. - Retaliation against tenants prohibited.
Any owner or any other person, firm or corporation, or agent who shall retaliate against a tenant by increasing rent or decreasing services or by terminating a rental agreement because the tenant reported a violation of the provisions of this chapter to the building maintenance official or because the tenant cooperated with the building maintenance official in an investigation shall be guilty of a violation of this chapter and shall be punished as provided in section 11-9 of this chapter.
