{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/56-245.2.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/56-245.2.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/56-245.2.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/56-245.2.html"}],"law_id":79615,"edition_id":1,"section_id":79615,"structure_id":16678,"section_number":"56-245.2","catch_line":"Definitions","history":"1978, c. 392; 1979, c. 313; 1992, c. 766; 2012, c. 338.","full_text":"A\n\nWhen used in this article, unless expressly stated otherwise:\n\t\t\t“Apartment house” means a building or buildings with the primary purpose of residential occupancy containing more than two dwelling units all of which are rented primarily for nontransient use, with rental paid at intervals of one week or longer. Apartment house includes residential condominiums and cooperatives, whether rented or owner occupied.\n\t\t\t“Campground” means the same as the term is defined in § 35.1-1.\n\t\t\t“Campsite” means that same as that term is defined in § 35.1-1.\n\t\t\t“Dwelling unit” means a room or rooms suitable for occupancy as a residence containing kitchen and bathroom facilities.\n\t\t\t“Energy allocation equipment” means any device, other than submetering equipment, used to determine approximate electric or natural gas usage for any dwelling unit or nonresidential rental unit within an apartment house, office building or shopping center, or campsite at a campground.\n\t\t\t“Nonresidential rental unit” means a room or rooms in which retail or commercial services, clerical work or professional duties are carried out.\n\t\t\t“Office building” means a building or buildings containing more than two rental units which are rented primarily for retail, commercial or professional use, with rental paid at intervals of one month or longer.\n\t\t\t“Owner-paid areas” means those areas for which the owner bears financial responsibility for energy costs which include but are not limited to areas outside individual residential or nonresidential units or campsites or in owner-occupied or owner-shared areas such as maintenance shops, vacant units, meeting units, meeting rooms, offices, swimming pools, laundry rooms, or model apartments.\n\t\t\t“Shopping center” means a building or buildings containing more than two stores which are rented primarily for commercial, retail or professional use.\n\t\t\t“Submetering equipment” means equipment used to measure actual electricity or natural gas usage in any dwelling unit or nonresidential rental unit or campsite when such equipment is not owned or controlled by the electric or natural gas utility serving the apartment house, office building, shopping center, or campground in which the dwelling unit or nonresidential rental unit or campsite is located.B\n\nAny building or buildings which qualify as an apartment house, office building, or shopping center shall not be excluded from § 56-245.3 because the apartment house, office building or shopping center contains a mixture of dwelling units and nonresidential rental units.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":285254,"text":"When used in this article, unless expressly stated otherwise:\n\t\t\t“Apartment house” means a building or buildings with the primary purpose of residential occupancy containing more than two dwelling units all of which are rented primarily for nontransient use, with rental paid at intervals of one week or longer. Apartment house includes residential condominiums and cooperatives, whether rented or owner occupied.\n\t\t\t“Campground” means the same as the term is defined in § 35.1-1.\n\t\t\t“Campsite” means that same as that term is defined in § 35.1-1.\n\t\t\t“Dwelling unit” means a room or rooms suitable for occupancy as a residence containing kitchen and bathroom facilities.\n\t\t\t“Energy allocation equipment” means any device, other than submetering equipment, used to determine approximate electric or natural gas usage for any dwelling unit or nonresidential rental unit within an apartment house, office building or shopping center, or campsite at a campground.\n\t\t\t“Nonresidential rental unit” means a room or rooms in which retail or commercial services, clerical work or professional duties are carried out.\n\t\t\t“Office building” means a building or buildings containing more than two rental units which are rented primarily for retail, commercial or professional use, with rental paid at intervals of one month or longer.\n\t\t\t“Owner-paid areas” means those areas for which the owner bears financial responsibility for energy costs which include but are not limited to areas outside individual residential or nonresidential units or campsites or in owner-occupied or owner-shared areas such as maintenance shops, vacant units, meeting units, meeting rooms, offices, swimming pools, laundry rooms, or model apartments.\n\t\t\t“Shopping center” means a building or buildings containing more than two stores which are rented primarily for commercial, retail or professional use.\n\t\t\t“Submetering equipment” means equipment used to measure actual electricity or natural gas usage in any dwelling unit or nonresidential rental unit or campsite when such equipment is not owned or controlled by the electric or natural gas utility serving the apartment house, office building, shopping center, or campground in which the dwelling unit or nonresidential rental unit or campsite is located.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":285255,"text":"Any building or buildings which qualify as an apartment house, office building, or shopping center shall not be excluded from § 56-245.3 because the apartment house, office building or shopping center contains a mixture of dwelling units and nonresidential rental units.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":16678,"edition_id":1,"name":"Regulation of Submetering and Energy Allocation Equipment","identifier":"2.1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13238,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:32:12","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:32:12","permalink":{"id":248929,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":16678,"identifier":"2.1","token":"56\/10\/2.1","url":"\/56\/10\/2.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13238,"edition_id":1,"name":"Heat, Light, Power, Water and Other Utility Companies Generally","identifier":"10","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12881,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:30","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:30","permalink":{"id":248721,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13238,"identifier":"10","token":"56\/10","url":"\/56\/10\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12881,"edition_id":1,"name":"Public Service Companies","identifier":"56","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","permalink":{"id":248473,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12881,"identifier":"56","token":"56","url":"\/56\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":79615,"structure_id":16678,"section_number":"56-245.2","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/56-245.2\/","token":"56\/10\/2.1\/56-245.2","metadata":false},{"id":74553,"structure_id":16678,"section_number":"56-245.3","catch_line":"Commission to promulgate regulations and standards","url":"\/56-245.3\/","token":"56\/10\/2.1\/56-245.3","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":74553,"structure_id":16678,"section_number":"56-245.3","catch_line":"Commission to promulgate regulations and standards","url":"\/56-245.3\/","token":"56\/10\/2.1\/56-245.3","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/56-245.2\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1978. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 392 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1978 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 3 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1979, chapter 313; in 1992, chapter 766; in 2012, chapter 338<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":61413,"section_number":"55.1-1200","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/55.1-1200\/"},{"id":67894,"section_number":"55.1-1212","catch_line":"Energy submetering, energy allocation equipment, sewer and water submetering equipment, and ratio utility billing systems; local government fees","order_by":null,"url":"\/55.1-1212\/"},{"id":74794,"section_number":"55.1-1404","catch_line":"Energy submetering, energy allocation equipment, sewer and water submetering equipment, ratio utility billings systems; local government fees","order_by":null,"url":"\/55.1-1404\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":61152,"section_number":"35.1-1","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/35.1-1\/"},{"id":74553,"section_number":"56-245.3","catch_line":"Commission to promulgate regulations and standards","order_by":null,"url":"\/56-245.3\/"}],"permalink":{"id":248931,"object_type":"law","relational_id":79615,"identifier":"56-245.2","token":"56\/10\/2.1\/56-245.2","url":"\/56-245.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/56-245.2\/","token":"56\/10\/2.1\/56-245.2","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 56-245.2","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> When used in this article, unless expressly stated otherwise:\n\t\t\t“Apartment house<\/span>” means a building or buildings with the primary purpose of residential occupancy containing more than two dwelling units<\/span> all of which are rented primarily for nontransient use, with rental paid at intervals of one week or longer. Apartment house<\/span> includes residential condominiums and cooperatives, whether rented or owner occupied.\n\t\t\t“Campground<\/span>” means the same as the term is defined in § 35.1-1<\/a>.\n\t\t\t“Campsite<\/span>” means that same as that term is defined in § 35.1-1<\/a>.\n\t\t\t“Dwelling unit<\/span>” means a room or rooms suitable for occupancy as a residence containing kitchen and bathroom facilities.\n\t\t\t“Energy allocation equipment<\/span>” means any device, other than submetering equipment<\/span>, used to determine approximate electric or natural gas usage for any dwelling unit<\/span> or nonresidential rental unit<\/span> within an apartment house<\/span>, office building<\/span> or shopping center<\/span>, or campsite<\/span> at a campground<\/span>.\n\t\t\t“Nonresidential rental unit<\/span>” means a room or rooms in which retail or commercial services, clerical work or professional duties are carried out.\n\t\t\t“Office building<\/span>” means a building or buildings containing more than two rental units which are rented primarily for retail, commercial or professional use, with rental paid at intervals of one month or longer.\n\t\t\t“Owner-paid areas<\/span>” means those areas for which the owner bears financial responsibility for energy costs which include but are not limited to areas outside individual residential or nonresidential units or campsites<\/span> or in owner-occupied or owner-shared areas such as maintenance shops, vacant units, meeting units, meeting rooms, offices, swimming pools, laundry rooms, or model apartments.\n\t\t\t“Shopping center<\/span>” means a building or buildings containing more than two stores which are rented primarily for commercial, retail or professional use.\n\t\t\t“Submetering equipment<\/span>” means equipment used to measure actual electricity or natural gas usage in any dwelling unit<\/span> or nonresidential rental unit<\/span> or campsite<\/span> when such equipment is not owned or controlled by the electric or natural gas utility serving the apartment house<\/span>, office building<\/span>, shopping center<\/span>, or campground<\/span> in which the dwelling unit<\/span> or nonresidential rental unit<\/span> or campsite<\/span> is located. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> Any building or buildings which qualify as an apartment house<\/span>, office building<\/span>, or shopping center<\/span> shall not be excluded from § 56-245.3<\/a> because the apartment house<\/span>, office building<\/span> or shopping center<\/span> contains a mixture of dwelling units<\/span> and nonresidential rental units<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITIONS (\u00a7 56-245.2)\n\nA. When used in this article, unless expressly stated otherwise:\n\t\t\t“Apartment house” means a building or buildings with the primary\npurpose of residential occupancy containing more than two dwelling units all of\nwhich are rented primarily for nontransient use, with rental paid at intervals\nof one week or longer. Apartment house includes residential condominiums and\ncooperatives, whether rented or owner occupied.\n\t\t\t“Campground” means the same as the term is defined in §\n35.1-1.\n\t\t\t“Campsite” means that same as that term is defined in §\n35.1-1.\n\t\t\t“Dwelling unit” means a room or rooms suitable for occupancy as a\nresidence containing kitchen and bathroom facilities.\n\t\t\t“Energy allocation equipment” means any device, other than\nsubmetering equipment, used to determine approximate electric or natural gas\nusage for any dwelling unit or nonresidential rental unit within an apartment\nhouse, office building or shopping center, or campsite at a campground.\n\t\t\t“Nonresidential rental unit” means a room or rooms in which\nretail or commercial services, clerical work or professional duties are carried\nout.\n\t\t\t“Office building” means a building or buildings containing more\nthan two rental units which are rented primarily for retail, commercial or\nprofessional use, with rental paid at intervals of one month or longer.\n\t\t\t“Owner-paid areas” means those areas for which the owner bears\nfinancial responsibility for energy costs which include but are not limited to\nareas outside individual residential or nonresidential units or campsites or in\nowner-occupied or owner-shared areas such as maintenance shops, vacant units,\nmeeting units, meeting rooms, offices, swimming pools, laundry rooms, or model\napartments.\n\t\t\t“Shopping center” means a building or buildings containing more\nthan two stores which are rented primarily for commercial, retail or\nprofessional use.\n\t\t\t“Submetering equipment” means equipment used to measure actual\nelectricity or natural gas usage in any dwelling unit or nonresidential rental\nunit or campsite when such equipment is not owned or controlled by the electric\nor natural gas utility serving the apartment house, office building, shopping\ncenter, or campground in which the dwelling unit or nonresidential rental unit\nor campsite is located.\n\nB. Any building or buildings which qualify as an apartment house, office\nbuilding, or shopping center shall not be excluded from § 56-245.3 because\nthe apartment house, office building or shopping center contains a mixture of\ndwelling units and nonresidential rental units.\n\nHISTORY: 1978, c. 392; 1979, c. 313; 1992, c. 766; 2012, c. 338.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}