Thursday, Sept. 18, the City of Williamsburg held its second of three public input sessions for its proposed Rent Ready program at the College of William and Mary’s Sadler Center in Tidewater B. Students, landlords and property owners came to hear a revised version of the proposal and participate in a monitored Q-and-A session for the remainder of the 90 minutes allocated.
The three sessions (Aug. 28, Sept. 18 and Sept. 30) are identical in format, with the proposal updated after each round of input.
Tevya Williams Griffin, the City’s planning and codes compliance director, led the meeting. Griffin has overseen the development of Rent Ready Williamsburg since joining the City’s Planning Department in 2022.
“This is a proposed voluntary rental certification program developed to improve the quality, safety and community integration of off-campus housing near the College of William and Mary,” Griffin said.
In essence, landlords and property owners would permit the City to conduct a free home inspection, after which the property would be rated on roughly a 100-point scale based on its physical condition and available amenities. A score of at least 80 is required for a Rent Ready certification, while a score of 95 or higher is necessary to qualify for four-person occupancy.
She encouraged active participation throughout the meeting and opened the session with a QR code survey to be filled out by attendees both before and after.
“This program has been a long time in the making,” Griffin said. “And so now we’re at the point where we would like input from all of you about the program.”
The Rent Ready proposal began as one of 27 concepts identified by the City of Williamsburg’s Neighborhood Balance Committee, a group of students from the College, landlords and property owners, in 2019.
It is the tenth Neighborhood Balance concept actualized since 2020 and has been included in the City’s 2021, 2023 and 2025 Goals, Initiatives, and Outcomes planning document.
The current program guidelines draw from the results of two focus groups — one of students and one of landlords — conducted in April 2023, as well as the results of a separate survey of around 300 people.
Rent Ready Williamsburg is also modeled after the successful Rent Ready Norfolk program, which requires local Navy sailors to live in Rent Ready-certified housing.
Williamsburg’s version centers on four stated priorities: safety, behavior, quality and preserving the character of neighborhoods. According to Griffin, improving off-campus student housing conditions, fostering better relationships between students and neighboring residents, and keeping the neighborhoods clean are all Rent Ready initiatives.
“We believe it strengthens neighborhoods by aligning the interests of students, landlords and long-time residents through safe, high-quality rental housing and shared educational opportunities,” Griffin said.
While it is entirely voluntary, the College would only endorse certified properties on its housing platforms if the program is implemented. The program is not open to all of Williamsburg, just the four designated districts near the College.
Despite these goals, Rent Ready Williamsburg has received mixed reactions, often skewing negative.
“In its current form, I’m definitely against Rent Ready,” Shane Bennett ’26 said. “I think with many changes, it could be beneficial for the community.”
The crux of the issue lies in its strict criteria for four-person occupancy. Today, 37 four-person occupancy properties have been certified by the City within the four proposed Rent Ready districts. Landlords and property owners believe the criteria create unreasonably high barriers to gain four-person occupancy certification, leaving not enough incentive to join the program.
Fewer people allowed on the property would spike rent prices, which would lead more students to look toward questionable housing options.
“Yes, I do think it’s a common student opinion because it really seems to me like it serves to punish students for living off campus more than helping them,” Bennett said. “The big issue for me is affordability.”
Student Assembly President Zoe Wang B.A. ’25, M.P.P. ’26 acknowledged the ongoing issue of ghost tenants — individuals living on a property without having signed a lease — that could be escalated too.
“I think when you look at the details of the program, the core problem is that there are ghost tenants in Williamsburg,” Wang said. “And when students are ghost tenanting, they might encounter issues with their landlord that they are afraid to bring up.”
Landlords and property owners also raised objections to Section 5-312 of the draft proposal, which states that property owners, not tenants, will be held accountable for violations such as noise complaints. Each reported incident will drop their Rent Ready score by ten points..
Students, landlords and other Williamsburg residents care deeply about this program and its consequences for the off-campus housing market.
Walter Garrett ’29 came to the meeting to support his fraternity working with this program and to prepare for his own future housing decisions.
“I came tonight to support my brothers,” Garrett said. “I wanted to be there for them. And also, it’s definitely nice to get some of this information if I end up living off campus as an upperclassman.”
While many remain skeptical of the program, Wang continues to support its general mission and advocates for some of the long-term benefits that Rent Ready Williamsburg could bring.
“We want this program to pass because I think ultimately, five, ten years down the line, this program will be good for students,” Wang said.
The final input session will take place on Thursday, Sept. 30, at 6 p.m. at the Stryker Center, 412 N. Boundary St.
