WILLIAMSBURG — The City of Williamsburg is inviting the public to offer comments on its proposed Rent Ready Williamsburg program.
According to the city, Rent Ready Williamsburg is a proposed voluntary rental certification program developed to improve the quality, safety, and community integration of off-campus housing near William & Mary. The program aims to strengthen neighborhoods by aligning the interests of students, landlords, and longtime residents through safe, high-quality rental housing and shared education, it adds.
Drafts of the Rent Ready Program Guidelines and a corresponding ordinance are available to read at williamsburgva.gov/rentready, where the public can also submit feedback.
The city’s Planning and Codes Compliance Department will also host a series of public input sessions for renters, landlords and neighbors, where attendees can learn more about the program, and city staff can answer questions and gather feedback.
The input sessions are scheduled for:
- Thursday, Aug. 28 at 3 p.m., Stryker Center
- Thursday, Sept. 18 at 6:30 p.m. in Tidewater B at Sadler Center
- Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 6 p.m., Stryker Center
If approved, the city said the Rent Ready program 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 program is currently in the proposal stages. After a public input process in August and September, the Williamsburg City Council will consider the adoption of Rent Ready Williamsburg in November or December of 2025, according to the city.
