Eviction Spotlight: Getting evicted after going to the press

Monday, April 8th, 2019

We often hear that tenants are the problem when it comes to evictions and that landlord harassment only comes from a few “bad apples,” but we witness many landlords taking advantage of low-income Virginians through our Eviction Legal Helpline. The Eviction Spotlight series seeks to shed light on these stories.

Darrin Perry, a single father living with his child, complained to his property manager for nearly a year about needed repairs and unhealthy conditions in his apartment. Sewage from the upstairs bathroom was leaking through the kitchen ceiling and drizzling onto the stove. Despite repeated complaints and requests to the manager, including in writing by email, the landlord did not fix the issue, so Darrin contacted the press to shed light on the poor conditions of the property. His efforts resulted in Henrico County building inspectors discovering five code violations.

Days after the story aired, Darrin received a termination/non-renewal notice from his landlord requiring him to vacate the unit by April 9th. “It’s retaliation because I complained to Channel 6 about the issues that I’m having,” Darrin told CBS6. “I work hard every day. Look at me, I just got off work. Paying my bills is not an issue, but I don’t want to live like this.”

VPLC and Virginia legal aid programs are working for stronger legal protections and better enforcement of the law that will benefit all Virginians. If you have questions or concerns around evictions in Virginia, call our Eviction Legal Helpline at 1-833-NoEvict. 

Back to News

Leave a Reply