Arlington’s Tenant-Landlord Commission plans to look into potential updates of the county government’s tenant-relocation guidelines.
There’s an opportunity here,” chair David Timm said at the body’s Jan. 8 meeting. “Even if there’s nothing that desperately needs revision, there are things we can improve upon.”
At the meeting, commission members agreed to set up an ad-hoc subcommittee to study the matter and recommend possible alterations. Any final proposals would go to the full commission and, ultimately, to the County Board.
Relocation guidelines come into a play when a rental property is about to be renovated, converted to another use or demolished.
As the name suggests, they are not legally binding on all property owners. They come into play when property owners are seeking zoning changes, other regulatory approval or financial support from the county government.
Broadly, the guidelines require at last 120 days’ notice before tenants need to vacate; require the property owner to file a relocation plan with the county and get it approved by the Tenant-Landlord Commission; and provide payments and/or services to tenants being forced out.
The current relocation guidelines have been in place about eight years. Timm said his desire was not necessarily to make minimum requirements more stringent, but potentially to add “reach goals” that some landlords already meet and others could aspire to.
Many property owners go “above and beyond” their obligations and should get credit for their efforts, he said.
The proposal to review the guidelines won general support from commission members as another way to support tenants in a rental market that is both expensive and complex for many to navigate.
“Taking a look at the plan, especially for some of the new members, is a good idea,” said Kirit Mookerjee, one of the longest serving commission members.
Nature Lewis, the newest arrival on the board, said a regular review schedule was a good habit to cultivate.
“Every guideline should be looked at at least once every five years,” she said.
But there was some pushback to the proposal. Hector Mercado, a housing specialist with the county government who deals with tenant-relocation plans, said the current guidelines seem to work fine.
Problems the crop up, he said, are “not an issue with the guidelines, it’s an issue of communication and understanding.”
Kristin Clegg, a landlord representative on the body, said that most property owners contract out relocation services to third-party companies, most of which are experienced with the existing Arlington policies.
“Getting them all to change would be problematic,” she said.
Timm said that looking at possible changes did not obligate the commission to recommend any alterations. It would simply be “an interesting thing to explore,” he said.
If a property is being redeveloped or otherwise altered by-right, the county guidelines do not need to be followed, but state requirements must be adhered to.
The Code of Virginia requires that property owners give at least a 120-day notice to residents with leases who will be required to vacate. Those on month-to-month leases must be given at least a 30-day notice.
The Tenant-Landlord Commission has 11 membership slots — four representing tenants, four representing landlords and three representing the general public.
At the moment, three of the four landlord slots are vacant, leaving Clegg to represent industry interests on her own.
Timm said he has tried everything he can think of to find landlords willing to serve on the body, but so far has come up empty. The participation and input of landlord representatives is vital to the commission working well, he noted.
