                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

TENANT TO MAINTAIN DWELLING UNIT (§ 55.1-1227)

A. In addition to the provisions of the rental agreement, the tenant shall:

   1. Comply with all obligations primarily imposed upon tenants by applicable
   provisions of building and housing codes materially affecting health and
   safety;

   2. Keep that part of the dwelling unit and the part of the premises that he
   occupies and uses as clean and safe as the condition of the premises permit;

   3. Keep that part of the dwelling unit and the part of the premises that he
   occupies free from insects and pests, as those terms are defined in &#xA7;
   3.2-3900, and promptly notify the landlord of the existence of any insects or
   pests;

   4. Remove from his dwelling unit all ashes, garbage, rubbish, and other waste
   in a clean and safe manner and in the appropriate receptacles provided by the
   landlord;

   5. Keep all plumbing fixtures in the dwelling unit or used by the tenant as
   clean as their condition permits;

   6. Use in a reasonable manner all utilities and all electrical, plumbing,
   sanitary, heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, and other facilities and
   appliances, including an elevator in a multifamily premises, and keep all
   utility services paid for by the tenant to the utility service provider or its
   agent on at all times during the term of the rental agreement;

   7. Not deliberately or negligently destroy, deface, damage, impair, or remove
   any part of the premises or permit any person, whether known by the tenant or
   not, to do so;

   8. Not remove or tamper with a properly functioning smoke alarm installed by
   the landlord, including removing any working batteries, so as to render the
   alarm inoperative. The tenant shall maintain the smoke alarm in accordance
   with the uniform set of standards for maintenance of smoke alarms established
   in the Statewide Fire Prevention Code (&#xA7; 27-94 et seq.) and subdivision C
   6 of &#xA7; 36-105, Part III of the Uniform Statewide Building Code (&#xA7;
   36-97 et seq.);

   9. Not remove or tamper with a properly functioning carbon monoxide alarm
   installed by the landlord, including the removal of any working batteries, so
   as to render the carbon monoxide alarm inoperative. The tenant shall maintain
   the carbon monoxide alarm in accordance with the uniform set of standards for
   maintenance of carbon monoxide alarms established in the Statewide Fire
   Prevention Code (&#xA7; 27-94 et seq.) and subdivision C 6 of &#xA7; 36-105,
   Part III of the Uniform Statewide Building Code (&#xA7; 36-97 et seq.);

   10. Use reasonable efforts to maintain the dwelling unit and any other part of
   the premises that he occupies in such a condition as to prevent accumulation
   of moisture and the growth of mold and promptly notify the landlord of any
   moisture accumulation that occurs or of any visible evidence of mold
   discovered by the tenant;

   11. Not paint or disturb painted surfaces or make alterations in the dwelling
   unit without the prior written approval of the landlord, provided that (i) the
   dwelling unit was constructed prior to 1978 and therefore requires the
   landlord to provide the tenant with lead-based paint disclosures and (ii) the
   landlord has provided the tenant with such disclosures and the rental
   agreement provides that the tenant is required to obtain the landlord&#8217;s
   prior written approval before painting, disturbing painted surfaces, or making
   alterations in the dwelling unit;

   12. Be responsible for his conduct and the conduct of other persons, whether
   known by the tenant or not, who are on the premises with his consent, to
   ensure that his neighbors&#8217; peaceful enjoyment of the premises will not
   be disturbed;

   13. Abide by all reasonable rules and regulations imposed by the landlord;

   14. Be financially responsible for the added cost of treatment or
   extermination due to the tenant&#8217;s unreasonable delay in reporting the
   existence of any insects or pests and be financially responsible for the cost
   of treatment or extermination due to the tenant&#8217;s fault in failing to
   prevent infestation of any insects or pests in the area occupied; and

   15. Use reasonable care to prevent any dog or other animal in possession of
   the tenant, authorized occupants, or guests or invitees from causing personal
   injuries to a third party in the dwelling unit or on the premises, or property
   damage to the dwelling unit or the premises.

B. If the duty imposed by subdivision A 1 is greater than any duty imposed by
any other subdivision of that subsection, the tenant&#8217;s duty shall be
determined by reference to subdivision A 1.

HISTORY: 1974, c. 680, § 55-248.16; 1987, c. 428; 1999, c. 80; 2000, c. 760;
2003, c. 355; 2004, c. 226; 2008, cc. 489, 617, 640; 2009, c. 663; 2011, c. 766;
2014, c. 632; 2016, c. 744; 2017, cc. 262, 730; 2018, cc. 41, 81, 221; 2019, c.
712.