Virginia rental housing laws
What Virginia has enacted on rental housing, what each law requires, and what the bills still moving would do. Virginia is one of 42 states that enacted a rental housing law in the 2025 and 2026 sessions.
14 new Virginia laws take effect in 2027
- Bills in scope
- 72bills in scope
- Past committee
- 52past committee
- Most recent action
- 21 July 2026most recent action
Rental housing laws enacted in Virginia
30 rental housing laws enacted in the Virginia Legislature in the 2025 and 2026 sessions, newest first. Each links to the legislature's own page.
- HB 1005Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; rental payment methods, prohibited fees.Enacted 13 April 2026
What it requires: Landlords must accept rent and security deposits by check and money order. Landlords with more than four rental dwelling units must accept debit or credit card payments and may charge only actual out-of-pocket third-party processing expenses. Landlords must not charge fees for rent collection unless offering a fee-free alternative payment method.
Fees, screening and rent pricing
What it does: This amendment modifies the Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act by adjusting which sections of Virginia Code are amended, removing references to section 55.1-1311 and striking certain provisions from lines 75 through 80 of the engrossed bill.
- HB 1361Virginia Residential Landlord & Tenant Act; civil action for unlawful detainer, termination notice.Takes effect 1 July 2027
What it requires: Landlords must present a proper termination notice before filing unlawful detainer actions against residential tenants. For nonpayment of rent, the termination notice must include a written statement of charges, payments, late charges, attorney fees, and other contracted charges over the tenancy or past 12 months. Owners using energy submetering, energy allocation, water and sewer submetering equipment, or ratio utility billing systems must clearly state this in the rental agreement.
Eviction procedure
- HB 14Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; enforcement by localities.Took effect 1 July 2026
What it requires: Landlords must maintain dwelling units in fit and habitable condition, remedying material noncompliance constituting fire hazards or serious threats to life, health, or safety within a reasonable time frame after notice from a locality. Any person adversely affected by prohibited acts or omissions may bring enforcement actions.
- HB 1408Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, rental agreement noncompliance.Enacted 13 April 2026
What it requires: Landlords must serve written notice specifying breaches and allow tenants 21 days to remedy remediable breaches before terminating rental agreements. Landlords may terminate immediately for criminal or willful acts posing health or safety threats. Leases cannot terminate solely due to family abuse if the perpetrator is barred and tenant provides documentation within 21 days.
Eviction procedure
What it requires: No indigent defendant shall be required to post an appeal bond in unlawful detainer cases. Defendants appealing unlawful detainer actions must post bond for outstanding rent, late charges, attorney fees, and other damages within 10 days, except indigent defendants are exempt. Indigent means determined eligible for services without fees or costs under § 17.1-606.
Eviction procedure
- HB 374Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act; written rental agreement, lot rent increase prohibition, etc.Took effect 1 July 2026
What it requires: Landlords of manufactured home parks must provide written rental agreements with itemized charges on the first page and offer one-year terms. Landlords are prohibited from increasing annual lot rent upon renewal if the manufactured home community has an unresolved notice of violation from the locality for zoning, building, fire code, or habitability violations.
Rent caps and stabilization, Security deposits, Habitability and repairs
- HB 519Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; definition of essential services.Took effect 1 July 2026
What it does: Amends the definition of essential services in Virginia's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to include heat, central air conditioning when supplied by the landlord and operating as of the rental agreement's effective date, running water, hot water, electricity, and gas.
- HB 593Summons for unlawful detainer; legal resources, plain-language overview of process.Enacted 13 April 2026
What it requires: Courts issuing summons for unlawful detainer must include notice that employers cannot discharge tenants for appearing at hearings. Summons may include additional information about legal resources, the unlawful detainer process, and Eviction Diversion Program eligibility prepared by the Commonwealth, locality, or nonprofit organizations.
Eviction procedure
What it requires: Landlords and managing agents must not release tenant or prospective tenant information to third parties except in specified circumstances including prior written consent, public records, rent payment summaries, unremediied noncompliance notices, law enforcement requests, subpoenas, and other enumerated exceptions. Landlords must provide tenants written statements of charges and payments within 10 business days upon written request.
- SB 273Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; Eviction Diversion Program, eligibility.Took effect 1 July 2026
What it requires: A tenant in an unlawful detainer case must appear in court on the first docket call, pay at least 10 percent of the amount due, provide sworn testimony of employment and sufficient funds, explain reasons for nonpayment, and meet eligibility criteria including no late payments exceeding specified thresholds in the last 12 months and no prior eviction diversion program participation within 12 months.
Eviction procedure
- SB 290Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; enforcement by localities.Took effect 1 July 2026
What it requires: Landlords must maintain dwelling units in fit and habitable condition, remedying material noncompliance constituting fire hazards or serious threats to life, health, or safety within a reasonable time frame after notice from a locality. Material noncompliance includes infestation of rodents or lack of heat, hot or cold running water, electricity, or adequate sewage disposal facilities.
Habitability and repairs
- SB 294Va. Residential Landlord & Tenant Act; submetering, energy allocation, & ratio utility billing sys.Enacted 13 April 2026
What it requires: Owners, managers, or operators of residential buildings must clearly state in rental agreements if energy submetering equipment, energy allocation equipment, water and sewer submetering equipment, or ratio utility billing systems are used. They must bill tenants for the same period as the utility, maintain records of billing calculations, and permit tenant inspection. Landlords must provide tenants with energy and utility billing debits and credits when serving notice of material noncompliance.
Eviction procedure, Habitability and repairs
- SB 373Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; defense to action for possessions for nonpayment of rent.Enacted 13 April 2026
What it requires: A landlord must remedy conditions constituting fire hazards or serious threats to life, health, or safety within a reasonable time after written notice, with a rebuttable presumption that delay exceeding 30 days is unreasonable. A tenant may assert noncompliance as a defense to eviction for nonpayment if the landlord failed to remedy such conditions, provided the tenant pays due rent into court.
Eviction procedure
- HB 15Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with rental agreement.Enacted 8 April 2026
What it requires: Landlords must serve written notice specifying breaches and provide tenants 21 days to remedy remediable breaches before terminating rental agreements. For non-remediable breaches involving criminal or willful acts posing health or safety threats, landlords may terminate immediately. Landlords owning more than four rental units cannot deny tenancy based solely on payment history or eviction for nonpayment occurring March 12, 2020 through 30 days after COVID-19 emergency expiration.
Eviction procedure
- HB 174Va. Residential Landlord & Tenant Act; early termination of rental agreement by military personnel.Enacted 6 April 2026
What it requires: Members of the Armed Forces or National Guard serving on full-time duty may terminate rental agreements by providing written notice to the landlord at least 30 days after the next rental payment due date, with termination no more than 60 days before departure. Tenants must provide official orders or a commanding officer's letter. Landlords may not charge liquidated damages.
Eviction procedure
What it requires: The Department of Housing and Community Development shall establish the Eviction Reduction Program to promote housing stability, identify barriers to eviction filings, and provide interventions to prevent or divert evictions. The Department shall develop criteria and guidelines for program administration and shall report annually to the General Assembly on households served, assistance types, geographic distribution, and legislative recommendations.
Eviction procedure
- HB 837Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; Eviction Diversion Program, eligibility.Took effect 1 July 2026
What it requires: A tenant in an unlawful detainer case must appear in court on the first docket call, pay at least 10 percent of the amount due, provide sworn testimony of employment or income and sufficient funds, explain reasons for nonpayment, and meet eligibility criteria regarding prior late payments and prior program participation to participate in the Eviction Diversion Program.
Eviction procedure
- SB 325Va. Residential Landlord & Tenant Act; early termination of rental agreement by military personnel.Enacted 6 April 2026
What it requires: Members of the Armed Forces of the United States or National Guard members serving on full-time duty or as civil service technicians may terminate rental agreements by serving written notice at least 30 days after the next rental payment due date, with termination no more than 60 days before required departure, and must provide official orders or commanding officer confirmation. Landlords may not charge liquidated damages.
What it requires: The Department of Housing and Community Development shall report annually to the General Assembly on or before October 1 regarding the Eviction Reduction Program, including the number of households served, types of assistance provided, geographic distribution, households completing the Eviction Diversion Program, and legislative recommendations.
Eviction procedure
What it requires: No indigent person shall be required to post an appeal bond in unlawful detainer actions brought by a public housing authority. Public housing authorities shall not require tenants to pay fees for maintenance or repair unless necessitated by tenant violation. Public housing authorities issuing nonpayment notices must provide written information on income recertification and hardship exemptions.
Eviction procedure, Fees, screening and rent pricing, Habitability and repairs
What it requires: Public housing authorities must not require indigent tenants to post appeal bonds in unlawful detainer actions. Public housing authorities must provide tenants receiving nonpayment notices with written information on pink or orange paper explaining income recertification, minimum rent hardship exemptions, and grievance procedures, posted in at least five conspicuous locations in each public housing community.
Eviction procedure, Fees, screening and rent pricing, Habitability and repairs
What it does: Renames the Eviction Diversion Pilot Program to the Eviction Diversion Program and removes its expiration date. Allows any general district court in Virginia to implement the program, not just those in Danville, Hampton, Petersburg, and Richmond.
Eviction procedure
- HB 1867Va. Residential Landlord & Tenant Act; terms and conditions of rental agreement, renewal notice.Enacted 24 March 2025
What it requires: Landlords owning more than four rental dwelling units or holding more than ten percent interest in more than four such units must provide written notice to tenants at least 60 days before the rental agreement term ends if rent will increase, if the agreement contains automatic renewal, or if the landlord will not renew. Landlords must provide signed rental agreements and tenant rights statements within 10 business days and cannot file unlawful detainer actions until providing the rights statement.
Rent caps and stabilization
Fees, screening and rent pricing
- HB 2557Real estate brokers, salespersons, and rental location agents; exemptions.Took effect 1 July 2025
What it requires: Real estate brokers must notify the Board within 30 days of discovering noncompliance with the chapter or Board regulations and submit a written compliance plan within 90 days. Unlicensed salaried employees of licensed brokers may exhibit residential units, provide factual information, accept applications and lease agreements, and accept deposits and payments, but shall not negotiate lease terms or amounts.
- SB 1043Va. Residential Landlord & Tenant Act; terms and conditions of rental agreement, renewal notice.Enacted 24 March 2025
What it requires: Landlords owning more than four rental dwelling units or more than ten percent interest in more than four rental dwelling units in Virginia must provide written notice to tenants with renewal options or automatic renewal provisions of any rent increase at least 60 days before the rental agreement term ends, and must provide written notice of nonrenewal within the same timeframe.
Rent caps and stabilization
- SB 884Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; early termination of rental agreement.Took effect 1 July 2025
What it requires: A tenant who is a victim of family abuse, sexual abuse, criminal sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking may terminate a rental agreement by serving written notice on the landlord effective 28 days after service, along with a copy of a protective order or conviction order. The landlord may not charge liquidated damages.
Eviction procedure
- HB 2151Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; revises definition of community land trust.Took effect 1 July 2025
What it does: Revises the definition of community land trust in Virginia's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to specify that the board of directors is composed of tenants, corporate members who are not tenants, and other categories specified in bylaws, and clarifies that a community land trust is not a landlord.
Rental housing in Virginia, by topic
Eviction procedure
24 bills, 16 enacted. Enacted in 28 states.
Fees, screening and rent pricing
18 bills, 4 enacted. Enacted in 15 states.
Habitability and repairs
15 bills, 5 enacted. Enacted in 17 states.
Rent caps and stabilization
10 bills, 3 enacted. Enacted in 11 states.
Short-term rentals
5 bills. Enacted in 7 states.
Security deposits
1 bill, 1 enacted. Enacted in 12 states.
Rental housing bills in Virginia
The bills not yet law, furthest along first, with what each would do.
30Enacted
14Cleared both chambers
8Past committee
20Introduced or inactive
72 bills in scope
Cleared both chambers
14
What it would do: Prohibits landlords from retaliating against tenants who complain to housing agencies, file legal actions, organize tenant groups, or testify against landlords by increasing rent, decreasing services, threatening eviction, or refusing to renew tenancies, effective January 1, 2027.
What it would do: Amends Virginia's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to require landlords to provide written notice of application fees, deposits, tenant selection criteria, and consumer reporting agency information before collecting payments, and to consider family abuse victim status when evaluating credit scores.
What it would do: Changes notice requirements from mandatory to permissive and extends cure periods from five to 14 days for landlord remedies under the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. Requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to develop and maintain a sample payment plan on its website.
What it would do: Amends Virginia's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to require landlords with more than four rental units to provide written notice of rent increases at least 90 days before the rental agreement term ends, with a tenant response deadline no sooner than 30 days after notice.
What it would do: Amends Virginia's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to require landlords to meet with tenants and offer comparable units before terminating leases for fire or casualty damage, and allows tenants to request reevaluation within seven days of termination notice.
What it would do: Amends Virginia's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to allow tenants to assert material noncompliance by landlords and file declarations in general district court seeking relief, including rent escrow, abatement, repairs, and attorney fees, with specific procedures for notice, court hearings, and escrow disbursement.
What it would do: Amends Virginia's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to allow localities to sue landlords in circuit court for injunction and damages when rental units have material noncompliance constituting fire hazards or serious threats to health and safety, provided the locality notified the landlord and the violation remained uncorrected.
What it would do: Amends Virginia's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to extend the rent payment cure period from 5 days to 14 days after written notice before a landlord may terminate the rental agreement for nonpayment.
What it would do: Amends Virginia's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to prohibit landlords owning more than four rental units from denying applications, increasing deposits or rent, or imposing restrictive terms based on dismissed or nonsuited unlawful detainer cases, with remedies of actual damages, $1,000 statutory damages, and attorney fees.
What it would do: Requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to develop and maintain a criminal record screening model policy for affordable housing applicants aligned with federal Fair Housing Act guidance, and prohibits landlords of affordable housing units from inquiring about or basing adverse actions on criminal records unless following this policy.
What it would do: This bill was vetoed by the Governor. The veto message indicates the bill would have restricted landlords from considering dismissed or nonsuited evictions in rental decisions.
Past committee
8
What it would do: Amends Virginia's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to cap attorney fees at $50 when a tenant exercises redemption rights in unlawful detainer actions, and clarifies landlord remedies and tenant payment procedures for nonpayment of rent cases.
What it would do: Requires multifamily housing developments receiving public funds to allow occupants to maintain at least one common household pet, prohibiting breed or weight restrictions over 65 pounds. Requires landlords to disclose pet policies in writing before collecting payments or personal information from prospective tenants.
What it would do: Requires short-term rental operators and their employees to complete approved human trafficking awareness training by January 1, 2028, and every two years thereafter. The Department of Criminal Justice Services must provide the training online at no cost or approve alternative courses.
What it would do: Directs the Board of Housing and Community Development to evaluate revisions to the Virginia Property Maintenance Code requiring owners and operators of residential rental buildings to maintain temperatures of no more than 77 degrees Fahrenheit from May 1 to October 15 and no less than 68 degrees Fahrenheit from October 15 to May 1.
What it would do: Requires accommodations providers furnishing short-term rental properties and their employees to complete human trafficking awareness training online at no cost within six months of employment and biennially thereafter. Prohibits accommodations intermediaries from facilitating short-term rental sales without written certification of provider compliance.
What it would do: Authorizes localities to adopt ordinances limiting annual rent increases to the lesser of Consumer Price Index growth from March to March or seven percent, with exemptions for certain facility types and new construction, and establishes civil penalties for violations.
Introduced or inactive
3 of 20 shown
What it would do: Requires landlords owning more than 10 rental units to disclose use of algorithmic pricing devices to tenants and provide plain-language summaries of factors considered upon request. Allows tenants to request human review of rent determinations and prohibits misrepresenting device use or claiming prices nonnegotiable solely due to algorithmic generation. Authorizes Attorney General to seek injunctions and civil penalties up to $1,000 per violation.
What it would do: Prohibits rental agreements from requiring tenants to pay fees for maintenance of premises, heating and cooling systems, pest control, trash disposal, common area utilities, mail delivery, internet, cable, or common area security, and makes such provisions unenforceable.
What it would do: Authorizes Virginia localities to adopt ordinances limiting annual rent increases to no more than three percent, with exemptions for newer units, medical facilities, nonprofits, and other specified properties, and establishes civil penalties for noncompliance.
Showing the 25 furthest along of 42. Subscribers see all of them, filtered and searchable. Bill titles link to the Virginia Legislature's own page.
What counts as rental housing legislation
In scope: Rent caps and stabilization; eviction procedure; fees, screening and rent pricing; security deposits; habitability and repairs; and short-term rentals.
Questions
Does Virginia have a rental housing law?
Yes. Virginia enacted 30 rental housing laws in the 2025 and 2026 sessions, among them HB 1005, HB 1325 and HB 1361. Each is listed on this page with what it requires.
When do Virginia's rental housing laws take effect?
HB 1361 on 1 July 2027, HB 14 on 1 July 2026, HB 374 on 1 July 2026, HB 519 on 1 July 2026 and HB 616 on 1 July 2027. The others have no single date in their text.
Which rental housing bills are moving in Virginia?
22 bills not yet law have passed a committee or a chamber, the furthest along HB 329 (vetoed), HB 379 (vetoed) and HB 95 (vetoed).
What does Virginia legislate on most in rental housing?
Eviction procedure (24 bills), Fees, screening and rent pricing (18 bills) and Habitability and repairs (15 bills).
Are these summaries reviewed by a lawyer?
No. Which bills count as Rental housing bills, and the line on what each law requires or each bill would do, are drafted by software from the bill's own text and not reviewed by an attorney. Every bill links to the legislature's own record: read the text before relying on it. The list covers bills from the 2025 and 2026 sessions.
Other practice areas in Virginia
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- Employment in Virginia144
- Healthcare in Virginia231
- Insurance in Virginia158
- Intellectual Property in Virginia13
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- All jurisdictions
Rental housing legislation in other jurisdictions
51 more currently hold bills in this tracker
- New Jersey209
- New York197
- Connecticut99
- Massachusetts86
- Texas64
- Arizona59
- Maryland59
- Montana59
- Rhode Island54
- Illinois52
- California44
- Hawaii39
- Michigan38
- Florida36
- Oregon32
- Pennsylvania31
- Congress30
- Georgia28
- Kentucky28
- Indiana27
- Washington26
- Wisconsin26
- Maine25
- Missouri25
- Iowa24
- Minnesota22
- Vermont22
- Colorado21
- South Carolina19
- Kansas17
- Nebraska17
- New Hampshire17
- Oklahoma16
- Delaware15
- New Mexico15
- Tennessee15
- North Carolina14
- West Virginia14
- Nevada12
- Utah12
- Ohio11
- Idaho10
- Mississippi10
- District of Columbia9
- Louisiana9
- North Dakota8
- Arkansas5
- Alaska3
- South Dakota3
- Puerto Rico2
- Wyoming1
Know when Virginia's rental housing law changes
An alert when a bill moves, and one report a month on what changed in every state and Congress.