Rent Ready Norfolk

Rent Ready Norfolk is a voluntary and comprehensive program designed to assist landlords, property managers, and renters. Services include: 

  • Quality Assessment: A quality assessment will consist of an evaluation of your rental unit's interior, exterior, common areas, amenities, and nuisance (if applicable).
  • RentingSmart Academy: A series of courses to inform and educate landlords, property managers, and renters about topics from rights and responsibilities, the importance of renters insurance, applicant screening, to successfully completing a rental search. Featured academy tracks include, Good Landlord Track, Court-Ordered Landlord Track, Good Renter Track, and Good Landlord Continuing Education Track. Interested renters can inquire about the Good Renter Track by emailing rentready@norfolk.gov. Workshops can be conducted individually or with a group. 
  • Good Neighbor Campaign: 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 and provides a neighborhood specific strategy, which is co-developed with Rent Ready and its partners, to address resources and services needed for all individuals in the community to co-exist and create neighborhoods of choice. Strategies, resources and services provided by Rent Ready Norfolk vary based on neighborhood needs.

Watch the video below to learn more about this comprehensive and voluntary program designed to assist renters in ODU and around the City of Norfolk.

Benefits of Being Rent Ready

Rent Ready Norfolk makes the process of being a renter easier for you, one of the many benefits of being Rent Ready. You are provided a comprehensive source of information, services and resources related to renting in one location to help navigate the rental process. By being "Rent Ready," you will:

Become a More Informed Renter

  • You will have a better understanding of your roles and responsibilities as a renter and you will learn about your landlord or property manager's roles and responsibilities as well. This leaves little room for misunderstanding as it relates to your lease and unit.
  • You will be able to make better decisions when it comes to deciding the next place you call home or about where you are currently living.
  • You will have a road map for the rental experience from start to finish.

Have Access to Free and Quality Services

  • Quality Assessment: Before or after you move into your rental unit, you can request a quality assessment of your unit’s interior, exterior, and common areas to ensure your unit is "Rent Ready".
  • Workshops: Workshops designed to help you understand the rental process are available monthly on topics such as Becoming a Model Renter; Knowing Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Renter; and Renters Insurance. Workshops are offered to first-time renters and current renters—it is never too early or too late to understand the renting process.

Have Access to Free and Quality Resources

  • Our Landlord and Tenant Relations Officer can assist you with any rental-related concerns. This resource is available when issues arise between a landlord and a tenant and/or when general advice is needed. Please contact the City’s Landlord & Tenant Relations Officer through the Norfolk Cares Center at (757) 664-6510.
  • The Norfolk Cares Center is a single point of contact for residents, businesses, and visitors. Through Norfolk Cares, residents can request a city service, obtain information on city services, and/or receive an update on a previous request for city services. Norfolk Cares also serves as the non-emergency hotline for the City of Norfolk. To request a service and/or learn about a city service, please contact the Norfolk Cares Center at (757) 664-6510 or healthyneighborhoods@norfolk.gov.
  • The Division of Neighborhood Quality is committed to effectively improving the life of Norfolk residents and persevering neighborhood quality through the enforcement of applicable building and property regulations aimed at the protection of public health, safety, and welfare. For assistance, please contact Neighborhood Quality through Norfolk Cares at (757) 664-6510 or healthyneighborhoods@norfolk.gov.

For more information on Rent Ready Norfolk's services or resource, please contact them at (757) 664-RENT or at rentready@norfolk.gov.