Locksmith Services in Virginia Beach, VA

Homes and locks in Virginia Beach

Most of today's city was Princess Anne County until 1963, when the 253-square-mile county merged with the 2-square-mile City of Virginia Beach. Its communities include Kempsville, Green Run, Thalia, Bayside, Great Neck Point, Thoroughgood, Aragona Village, Chesapeake Beach, the North End, Sandbridge and Pungo.

Census estimates (ACS 2024 1-year) count about 192,200 housing units. About 52 percent are detached houses and about 19 percent are attached single-family homes such as townhouses. The median home was built in 1984, and renters occupy about 37 percent of occupied homes.

Green Run was built as a planned unit development between 1968 and 1986. Its 36 neighborhoods include about 4,200 single-family homes, townhouses, three condominium projects and roughly 900 apartments. Its homes association maintains a community center and four recreation centers with pools, so their locks are the association's concern, not an owner's.

About 15 percent of residents moved in the past year. After a move, lock rekeying makes earlier key copies stop working while keeping the existing lock.

Businesses and buildings

Virginia Beach Town Center opened in 2003, and the 1,200-seat Sandler Center for the Performing Arts opened there in 2007. The Oceanfront has hundreds of hotels, motels and restaurants.

For a Town Center suite or an Oceanfront hotel or restaurant door, see commercial locksmith services.

Car trouble in Virginia Beach

At the Oceanfront, paid parking runs April through October, 8 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. City garages sit on Pacific Avenue at 9th, 25th and 31st Streets, and city lots sit along Atlantic Avenue at 2nd Street, 4th Street and Rudee Loop. Meters take coins, cards, text-to-pay and the ParkMobile and PassportParking apps, so a phone can cover the meter while keys are locked inside.

In Sandbridge, paid parking runs May through September, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., at city lots near Sandbridge Market and at Little Island Park. For a car lockout, give the garage's cross street and level, or the lot name.

Local rules worth knowing

Short-term rentals. The city defines a short-term rental as an entire dwelling rented for less than 30 consecutive days for compensation. All properties in the Sandbridge Special Service District are eligible. New rentals in the Oceanfront Resort STR Overlay District need a conditional use permit, renewed every five years. Rentals registered with the Commissioner of the Revenue before July 1, 2018, with transient occupancy taxes paid, are grandfathered but must meet section 241.2 of the Virginia Beach City Code. Each address needs an annual zoning permit, life safety and structural safety inspection reports, and at least one off-street parking space per bedroom. Check a property's status before adding a guest keypad or smart lock installation.

Military air installation disclosure. Virginia Code § 55.1-1217 covers landlords in any locality with a military air installation; Virginia Beach has NAS Oceana. Before a written lease is signed, or before move-in under an oral lease, the landlord must disclose in writing if the property is in a noise zone or accident potential zone on the locality's official zoning map. Without it, a tenant may end the lease in its first 30 days by written notice sent certified or registered mail, return receipt requested.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Requesting service in Virginia Beach

Give the neighborhood or nearest cross streets; at the Oceanfront, the numbered street and avenue. In Green Run or another association community, say whether a gate stands before your door. Virginia Locksmith Pros takes service requests from homes, businesses and drivers in Virginia Beach. See house lockout or the Virginia page.