Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Virginia

My landlord has a pretty strict lease policy, but there is NOTHING about an overnight guest. My roommates have overnight guests occasionally, but they are family. I want to have my boyfriend stay over, and now the landlord is telling me I cannot have overnight guests. The lease has a "behavior clause" stating that no sexual activity, intoxication, or unreasonable disturbance may occur by the lessee or GUESTS, but nowhere does it say anything about when guests and what time of guests may stay. What are my rights? Do I have to get a hotel room whenever my boyfriend is in town?


Asked on 8/21/09, 11:03 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Michael Hendrickson Law Office Michael E. Hendrickson

It would seem reasonable to conclude that by having your boyfriend stay overnight in your leased quarters that you would likely thereby have violated this "behavior clause" as you've described it in this particular lease, thereby giving your landlord a basis to charge you with a material violation of the lease and probable grounds to evict you.

This is exactly the kind of provision in a lease which should be clarified BEFORE the tenant applicant affixes his or her signature on the dotted line of the lease.

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Answered on 8/26/09, 11:43 pm


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