Virginia lawmakers have passed a bill that allows for an independent car rental company to operate in the state.
The bill also expands the definition of what constitutes a “commercial vehicle,” allowing for companies like Car2go to operate as commercial vehicles.
The House approved the bill Tuesday, and the Senate is expected to take up the measure in the coming days.
The bill’s passage comes as Virginia is in the middle of a housing crisis that has put the state at a crossroads.
The state has seen nearly 6,000 foreclosures since the beginning of the year, with thousands of homeowners either struggling with paying their mortgages or being evicted.
Many of those homeowners are renters, many of whom are renters of cars.
But according to a new report from the University of Virginia’s Center for Urban Policy Research, Virginia is one of the states that has the highest rate of car rentals in the country, at nearly 11%.
The median annual rent for a rental vehicle in the U.S. is $4,200, according to the Center for American Progress.
The average price of a car in Virginia is $22,000.
The median rent for an apartment is $1,600.
The most expensive housing market in the nation, according the report, is New York City.
Virginia Gov.
Bob McDonnell, who has been outspoken against letting car rental companies into the state, called the bill “historic and long overdue.”
“This bill will help ensure that renters are treated equally,” McDonnell said in a statement.
“I am pleased that we have reached an agreement with the state’s car rental industry to provide the flexibility and opportunity for them to remain in Virginia.”
The new bill also includes new requirements for car rental businesses that offer vehicles.
Car2Go must operate on a 24-hour-a-day basis and must offer at least 24 hours of vehicle service, as well as have at least 10 percent of its vehicles used in rental.
The company must also comply with the law regarding commercial vehicles and its policies, including ensuring that the rental vehicle does not exceed a vehicle’s gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), which determines how much it weighs.
Under the new legislation, the companies would be required to provide information about the number of vehicles they rent and the type of vehicles it rents.
The new law also allows the companies to operate out of the state if they have at most 1,000 rental vehicles.
Virginia law already requires car rental firms to register with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
But Car2GO did not register with DMV.
The company is also not required to post any ads on any Virginia-based car rental websites.