Ways Around Maximum Occupancy?

[Geoffrey Israel]

Hi everyone,

In my county (Arlington, VA), there is a rule that more than four unrelated people cannot live together regardless of the size of the property. I have a five bedroom house that can easily accommodate five renters but I cannot seem to figure out the appropriate angle to take on this position. I called the county and they told me:

A) They will only investigate if a complaint is made

B) The first time is a warning, the second time, you have 30 days to act and respond. 

The person in charge of occupancy told me people tell them: Two people living in the house are related (cousins), that drops the threshold to four unrelated people and they do not ask any more questions. 

What would you do in my situation?