Many community members are in full support of having “young life” brightening their neighborhoods. As young people who are in the process of refining our minds and bringing light to new ideas, we, as students, are afforded a unique opportunity to have an impact on this town. Becoming a part of the greater Williamsburg community does entail learning and respecting the laws and preferences of others. While this process takes more effort and energy than living on-campus, learning to become part of a community is a skill that will benefit the individual throughout the rest of his or her life.

Now that you are a renter, there are certain aspects of off-campus living that you will want to be acquainted with. Living off-campus is much different than living on, especially since you are responsible for keeping your unit and the bathrooms clean. Other differences include internet access, and cable television. Here are some informative pages that will help you understand the life of an off-campus, apartment-living student.

City Regulations
The city regulations page includes information regarding legal number of people per dwelling unit, trash pick up and trash regulations, as well as parking information for apartments and houses.

Being a Good Neighbor
The Being a Good Neighbor page lists information for students becoming a part of the city and community around them. Its ultimate goal is that a resident should be able to drive down a street without realizing which house is rented by a student and which house is rented or owned by a member of the community.

Safety and Emergency Information
This page includes information regarding fire safety, emergency phone numbers, steps to take to be sure you are prepared in the event of a fire, and information on use and maintenance of smoke detectors.

Property Maintenance Responsibilities
The Property Maintenance Responsibilities page includes information about the City's Property Maintenance code. Code violations include having more than the allotted number of cars outside a residence, excessively tall grass, repairs necessary to the exterior of the house, or housing furniture.

Williamsburg Area Transport Map
Here you will find the map that is used for the Williamsburg Area Transport bus system, with important information regarding routes and times.

Virginia Resident Landlord and Tenant Act
Under the VRLTA (as it is affectionately known) the landlord and the tenant are given specific rights in regards to rental housing and the leasing agreement between the two parties. On this page are some frequently asked questions regarding the Act, the Act itself (in PDF format), and some links to sites relating to the Act.

How City Code Compliance Programs Affect Students
The City of Williamsburg has various programs that are a part of a city-wide effort to promote safer housing and building safety. This section explains the aim of the laws and information about how they affect students renting housing in the City. One of the regulations it goes into detail about is the recently passed Rental Registration Act.

Landlord Relationship and Getting Repairs Done
This page refers to landlord relations and getting the repairs and the upkeep on the house or apartment as soon as possible and goes through a question and answer format that let's the student know of his or her ways of getting repairs done and relating to a landlord.