Q: If a tenant moved out of my property while still on lease, can he legally still bring anyone onto the property?
Tenant bought and moved into a home and out of leased house stating an "unspecified" safety risk. He then wants to hire an safety expert to see if he can prove he was right/find something in order to try to break the lease. Since he left the premise, does he have to state that he abandoned the property before I deny anyone entry to property, even for the safety inspection. (FYI, the house is safe and I've addressed all maintenance issues in a timely and appropriate manner)
A: Generally in Virginia, when a tenant give the landlord notice that he is moving out because of a safety issue, the tenant has returned possession to the landlord and abandoned the property. Given those facts, the tenant has no right to have an third party enter the property for inspection purposes, except if there is a lawsuit pending before the Circuit Court and the issue us the safety of the property.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
