Tenant & Legal Aid's New Weapon - The VA Consumer Protection Act

The Virginia Consumer Protection Act (VCPA) provides tenants with a powerful tool to hold landlords accountable for deceptive, unfair, or fraudulent practices. Although traditionally aimed at protecting consumers in commercial transactions, Virginia courts have recognized that certain landlord-tenant relationships can fall under the Act’s coverage—particularly when a landlord engages in misrepresentation, false advertising, or deceptive conduct related to rental housing, and Legal Aid is using this Act in addition to the VRLTA to try and impose large civil penalties against landlords.

Tenants may use the VCPA to challenge actions such as:

• Misstating the condition or safety of a rental unit
• Falsely promising repairs or amenities
• Charging illegal or undisclosed fees
• Retaining security deposits unlawfully

When successful, tenants can recover actual damages, attorney’s fees, and even treble damages for willful violations. The VCPA thus adds meaningful leverage in landlord-tenant disputes, encouraging fair dealing and accountability in Virginia’s rental market.

In this Lunch & Learn you will hear from the highly trusted litigation attorney that Patti Robertson uses, Chris Davis about what you need to know about the Consumer Protection Act to protect you!

Christopher Davis is the founder of Davis, Burch & Abrams, a 12-lawyer firm focused exclusively on business matters. He represents commercial landlords and property owners in complex lease disputes and real estate litigation, handling matters involving lease enforcement, fraud and misrepresentation, and high-stakes contract claims.

Chris recently secured a published appellate victory on behalf of a commercial landlord, successfully reversing a trial court decision and reinstating multi-million-dollar breach of lease and fraud claims. His practice centers on protecting business owners’ contractual rights, enforcing lease provisions, and positioning cases strategically when litigation becomes necessary.

Originally from New York, Chris has lived in Hampton Roads since 2002. He earned his J.D. and MBA from Regent University in 2007. Before founding the firm, he served as in-house litigation counsel for a publicly traded company, giving him practical insight into risk management and business decision-making. Passionate about entrepreneurship and small business, Chris brings both courtroom experience and business perspective to the legal challenges facing landlords and business owners

If you have not yet joined the Virginia Real Estate Investors Alliance, please do so. Their purpose is to connect REIs throughout the state of Virginia so we can take action when needed to protect our mutual interests with legislatures. You can find them here:
Website - https://vreia.org/
Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/600312952580976

THIS IS AN IN PERSON MEETING, AND ACCURATE RSVPs ARE CRITICAL TO ENSURE WE HAVE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF FOOD! Sweetwater Cuisine is a catering company known for their amazing culinary skills and will be serving us a buffet lunch for an all inclusive price of $25/person, which includes the space, meal, tax and tip as long as you RSVP. If you attend without RSVPing you can pay $30 at the door.

Please note: EVERYONE WHO ATTENDS MUST PAY FOR LUNCH, WHETHER YOU EAT OR NOT. This is the only way we can keep this a free club. The venue provides us a beautiful space and AV equipment all for the cost of our lunch.

IF YOU HAVE ANY FOOD ALLERGIES OR DIETARY REQUIREMENTS, PLEASE CONTACT SWEETWATER CUISINE DIRECTLY AT LEAST ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE EVENT AND THEY WILL DO THEIR BEST TO ACCOMMODATE WITH EITHER OUR MENU OR AN ACCOMMODATING MEAL.

All menus include soft drinks, tea, and coffee. Use of the space is included in the cost per person.