Q: Do we have to let the landlord show the property during this stay at home order?
Our landlord put the house on the market, and wants to show the property. We do not feel comfortable having strangers in here with our 2 young kids (plus landlord is a doctor, so she’s not exactly risk-free). Is showing a house considered “essential business” during a stay at home order?
A: Generally in Virginia, the residential lease controls the authority of a landlord to show the Premises provided there is reasonable advanced notice given by the landlord to the tenant. You should review the lease to identify that provision. Since the Covid-19 crisis is a matter of first impression in Virginia, there are no precedence for not allowing the landlord to show the Premises or for allowing the landlord to show the Premises. I think essential business is not a relevant issue with regard to showing the Premises by the landlord.
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