Commonwealth of Virginia
Office of the Attorney General
Mark Herring |
202 North Ninth Street |
For media inquiries only, contact:
Charlotte Gomer, Press Secretary
Phone: (804)786-1022
Mobile: (804) 512-2552
Email:
ATTORNEY GENERAL HERRING HIGHLIGHTS TENANTS' RIGHTS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
"Unfortunately, because of COVID-19 many Virginians have found themselves in tough financial situations and may not have the ability to pay their rent right now, which is why it is so important that every Virginia tenant knows their rights during this time,” said Attorney General Herring. "It is absolutely outrageous that any landlords are trying to evict their tenants right now at a time when we are asking every Virginian to stay home to keep themselves and their families safe and prevent further spread of the virus.”
Evictions and Abandonment
- Virginia Lawyer Referral Service or 1 (800) 552-7977
- Your local legal aid office or 1 (866) LEGLAID
- The Eviction Legal Helpline at 1-833-NOEVICT
- By phone: (800) 552-9963
- By email:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Online Complaint Form
- Online Contact Form
Extended Stay Hotels and Motels
If you have stayed in a hotel or a motel for more than 90 days or have a written lease with a term of more than 90 days, you are protected under the Virginia Residential Landlord Tenant Act (VRLTA) and cannot be evicted for a non-emergency reason during the mandatory continuances required under the judicial emergency order. Those who are currently living in hotels or motels but have not been there for 90 days or do not have a lease are not protected by VRLTA, but the landlord must give them a five-day notice of eviction if the resident has failed to pay.
Following Governor Northam's state of emergency declaration, Attorney General Herring has taken many actions to help Virginians navigate the uncertainty surrounding the COVID19 pandemic. Attorney General Herring has:
- Successfully petitioned the SCC to put a hold on all utility disconnections and, in response to a second request from Attorney General Herring, the SCC extended that freeze and suspended all late fees for the duration of the state of emergency
- Reviewed price gouging complaints from around the Commonwealth with his Consumer Protection Section and investigated any potential violations and pursued violators, including sending warning letters to dozens of businesses about which Virginians have complained
- Issued numerous warnings urging Virginians to be wary of COVID19 related scams as well as scams related to the federal stimulus package
- Issued an advisory opinion outlining the authority of public bodies, including local governments, to conduct meetings and critical public business while meeting social distancing needs and important transparency and accountability obligations
- Sent letters to Amazon, Facebook, Craigslist, Ebay, and Walmart urging them to more rigorously monitor price gouging practices by online sellers who are using their services
- Urged Virginians who have lost or could lose their jobs due to the COVID-19 health crisis to evaluate their insurance options to make sure that they remain covered during this unprecedented national health crisis
- Lead a multistate effort of 20 attorneys general in urging 3M to do more to combat inflated prices of N95 respirators and other desperately needed PPE
- Urged the telecommunications industry to make further commitments to protect consumers who are struggling financially as a result of COVID-19 and in calling upon the FCC for support
- Fought to protect women's access to reproductive healthcare by filing amicus briefs to block efforts to ban abortions during COVID-19 in Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas
- Warning the nation's three Consumer Reporting Agencies that he will not hesitate to enforce safeguards set in place to ensure consumers' credit is properly protected and that their credit reports are fairly and accurately reported as Americans continue to struggle from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 public health crisis
- Encouraging Virginians to utilize mental health and substance abuse treatment services, including through insurance purchased on Healthcare.gov
Additionally, Attorney General Herring has urged the Trump Administration to take many different actions to protect Virginians and Americans during this time including:
- Utilize the Defense Production Act to immediately prioritize the production of personal protective equipment and ventilators
- Provide federal student loan borrowers with crucial emergency protections
- Suspend Department of Veterans Affairs deadlines and debt collection activities
- Instate special enrollment periods on HealthCare.Gov and develop and implement an outreach plan to inform the millions of Americans who have lost or will lose their employer-sponsored health insurance coverage about the Special Enrollment Period available to them through HealthCare.Gov
- Ensure billions of dollars in emergency stimulus payments authorized by the CARES Act go to American families and not debt collectors
- Enforce the CARES Act and require credit reporting agencies to follow the Fair Credit Reporting Act following the CFPB's announcement that it would not enforce the law, leaving consumers at the mercy of unresponsive credit agencies
- Denounce the EPA's March 26th memo that announced a nationwide policy significantly reducing the civil enforcement of federal environmental laws during the COVID-19 crisis
- Urging the FDA to ease restrictions on blood donations to maintain an adequate national blood supply and to move towards a risk-based, gender neutral screening model and further revise guidance to make it easier for the LGBTQ population to give blood
- Urging the Federal Housing Finance Administration and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to take actions to help homeowners who have been affected by COVID-19 and the disruption to the mortgage market
# # #