WILLIAMSBURG — Officials have concluded their series of public input sessions on a proposed program intended to improve off-campus housing near William & Mary.
City staff will now review the input and finalize program guidelines before bringing a proposal to City Council in November or December.
The proposed Rent Ready Williamsburg program is designed to improve off-campus housing for students, residents and landlords through mandatory education courses, guidelines, a qualifying assessment and annual inspections. Joining the program would be voluntary, but would “raise the standard for rental housing by offering well-vetted homes with transparent quality assessments, fair lease practices, educational support, and public promotion of certified properties,” the city has said.
The third and final session took place Tuesday at the Stryker Center, drawing a smaller crowd than earlier sessions but continuing to draw questions from residents and landlords who still seemed unsure of how the program would work.
The idea for the Rent Ready program grew out of a workgroup several years ago that identified 27 concepts to address neighborhood stability issues, specifically regarding rental properties. Affordability and occupancy were two of the items identified as concerns.
The program has been a goal of the city since 2021 and is based off of the mandatory Rent Ready program already in place for sailors in Norfolk.
In order to qualify for the program, landlords would need to meet a list of criteria for both the exterior and interior of their rental properties, as well as provide a minimum of two amenities, such as utilities and trash collection. How a property scored on an assessment would determine eligibility.
Among the questions that have come up includes what happens if there are too many people living in one rental.
The drafted ordinance states that if a complaint of over-occupancy is found to be true, the property would lose Rent Ready certification for the next three years. After three years, the landlord could begin the recertification process. While some attendees felt this was an extreme punishment, Griffin stated that it isn’t unreasonable and is intended to address absent landlords.
“From a city standpoint, (landlords) should be aware,” Williamsburg Planning Director Tevya Griffin said. “What we are trying to do is make sure that landlords understand that they should have a stake in their property. … A landlord not knowing how many people they have in their home is a problem.”
Deven Sawkar, a senior at William & Mary, said the program has potential, but would need to improve certain aspects to be successful.
“I think it’s promising to see the city engaging in something that could potentially meaningfully benefit students,” Sawkar said. “However, the current program lacks sufficient incentives for problematic landlords to enroll in the process, and good landlords would be punished. It’ll also further drive up prices through inflationary pressure and limit supply.”
An online form will remain open for community members, students and landlords to share their thoughts on the program. For more information or to submit feedback, visit williamsburgva.gov/rentready.
Haidyn Brockelman, haidyn.brockelman@gmail.com
