RentingSmart Academy

RentingSmart Academy is a series of courses to inform and educate landlords, property managers, and renters about topics from rights and responsibilities to how to successfully complete a rental search. Featured academy's track include: Good Landlord Track, Court-Ordered Landlord Track, Good Renter Track,  and Good Landlord Continuing Education Track. 

Classes offered in the RentingSmart Academy varies per track and each track has a set of core classes and electives. Each track requires the participants to complete all the core classes and two (2) electives, unless otherwise noted, to receive their RentingSmart Academy Certification. 

RentingSmart Track(s)

• Good Landlord Track: The good landlord track will educate landlords and/or property managers about renting their residential residence to prospective renters. This track will provide landlords/property managers with a foundation to operate a residential rental successful. The core courses for this track are: 
  • Virginia Residential Landlord Tenant Act - Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Landlord 
  • Fair Housing
  • Property Management: A Reliable Landlord 
  • Property Maintenance: Keeping Up the Quality  
• Good Renter Track: The good renter track will educate prospective renters about their rights and responsibilities as a renter. This track will encourage renters to make sound decisions when it comes to selecting a residence to call home and encourage renters to become a part of a the fabric of their neighborhood and community. The core courses for this track are: 
  • Virginia Residential Landlord Tenant Act - Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Renter 
  • Benefits of Being a Modeled Renter

Registering for Class and/or Track Certification

Interested landlords and property managers can register for a class by emailing rentready@norfolk.gov or visiting Rent Ready Norfolk's Eventbrite Page  Confirmation for registering for a RentingSmart Academy class will be e-mailed to interested landlords and property managers. 

Landlords and property managers interested in completing a track in the RentingSmart Academy can register by completing a Rent Ready Norfolk Enrollment Form. Confirmation of enrollment in the Rent Ready Norfolk Progam will be e-mailed or mailed within five (5) business days. 

Interested renters can inquire about the Good Renter Track by emailing rentready@norfolk.gov. Workshops can be conducted individually or with a group. 

Quality Assessment 

A quality assessment will consist of an evaluation of your rental unit's interior, exterior, common areas, amenities, and nuisance (if applicable). Properties assessed by Rent Ready Norfolk (RRN) will be scored on a four-point scale. The four-point scale determines if a property is: 

• Excellent: 2.60 - 3.00 (Certified Score) 
  • The exterior, interior and common area complies with  Virginia Maintenance Codes and are in new or excellent condition. 
• Average: 2.00 - 2.59 (Certified Score) 
  • The exterior, interior and common area complies with  Virginia Maintenance Codes and are in new or good condition. 
• In Violation: 1.00 - 1.59 (No Score) 
  • The exterior, interior and common area does not comply with Virginia Maintenance Codes, and may be in less than acceptable condition. 
• Hazardous Violation: 0 - 0.99 (No Score) 
  • The exterior, interior and common area does not comply with minimal standards for   Virginia Maintenance Codes.

If your property receives a score of a 1.00 or lower and/or has code violations, an official quality assessment score will not be given until all issues are remediated. Once the issues had been addressed, the landlord and property management company can request a quality assessment to be conducted. 

A property, in addition to its certified RRN property score, can receive a plus rating. For a property to receive a plus rating, the landlord or property manager must provide 3 out of the 5 amenities to their renter(s): 

1. Renters Insurance
2. Online Rental Payment 
3. 24-Hour Maintenance 
4. Security
5. Off-Street Parking

Requesting a Quality Assessment 

A landlord, property manager, or renter can request a free quality assessment to be preformed in their residential rental property by calling 757-664-7368 or e-mailing rentready@norfolk.gov. Within two (2) business days, an appointment will be scheduled to perform a quality assessment on the residential rental property. 

Once the appointment has been scheduled, you will received an e-mail confirming the appointment along with literature detailing the feature of Rent Ready Norfolk. The literature will include: 

• A Letter of Confirmation 
• Quality Assessment Rubric 
• Quality Assessment Guidelines 

Good Neighbor Campaign 

Rent Ready Norfolk works to build inclusive neighborhoods and create a new paradigm in the American Dream, through the Good Neighbor Campaign, to include landlords, property management companies, and renter of all socio-economic backgrounds in the conversation about obtaining a home that is safe and livable and being a good neighbor. 

Through the Good Neighborhood Campaign. Rent Ready Norfolk partners with renters, landlords, property management companies, homeowners, civic leagues, anchor institutions and community-based organizations. The partnership allows for dialogue about the misconception of renters and rental properties to be had and to provide a strategy, which is co-developed with Rent Ready and its partners, to address resources and services needed for all individuals of the community to co-exist and create neighborhoods of choice. Strategies, resources and services provided by Rent Ready Norfolk varies based on neighborhood needs. Some examples of the resources provided by Rent Ready Norfolk includes implementing: 

• Informative Walks - Rent Ready Norfolk and partners canvas neighborhoods with resources to educate residents about resources and services related to their needs. 
• Renter's Corner - A service provided for renters to have their questions and issues addressed on-site by the Rent Ready Norfolk staff and the city's Landlord and tenant Relations Officer. 
• Community Collaboration - A service hosted by Rent Ready Norfolk to get community partners around the table on a consistent basis to talk about how to develop and maintain neighborhoods of choice. 
• City Service Mobilization - A service provided by Rent Ready Norfolk to address gaps in city services. 
• Customize and Accessible Workshops - A workshops provided by Rent Ready Norfolk tailored for the targeted audience within the community of the target audience to ensure accessibility of the information.