Virginia Landlord Law Changes 2026–2027: The Complete Compliance Guide

Virginia's 2026 legislative session brought the biggest package of Virginia landlord law changes in years. Effective July 1, 2026: the nonpayment eviction notice tripled from 5 to 14 days, landlords must accept checks and money orders, payment fees are capped at actual cost, and general maintenance fees are prohibited. More changes take effect July 1, 2027. This guide covers all of them.

Every change at a glance

A note on the unit counts: several 2026–2027 provisions exempt landlords who own four or fewer rental units (or hold no more than a 10% interest in four or fewer units). If you own more than four — or use professional management at scale — assume the rules apply to you.

The 14-day eviction notice (in force now)

The headline change: under HB 15 and SB 48, amending Va. Code § 55.1-1245, a landlord must now give a tenant 14 days' written notice to pay or vacate before filing for eviction over unpaid rent — up from 5 days. An old 5-day form served after July 1, 2026 is procedurally defective and can get the case dismissed. The same window applies when a rent check bounces or a payment is stopped in bad faith, and tenants can cure by cash, cashier's check, certified check, or completed electronic funds transfer. Our full guide to the 14-day pay-or-quit notice walks through the entire eviction timeline under the new rule.

The itemized statement requirement (coming July 1, 2027)

A companion law, SB 294, adds a documentation rule with a delayed start: beginning July 1, 2027, nonpayment notices must include an itemized statement of charges and payments — rent, late charges, and other amounts, with payments credited — covering the tenancy or the past 12 months, whichever is shorter. A bare lump-sum demand won't cut it. Courts already expect accurate balances today, so this is worth adopting early; see our guide to the itemized statement rule for what the accounting needs to show.

The payment rules package (in force now)

HB 1005 and SB 313 changed how rent can be collected, for landlords above the four-unit threshold:

• Tenants must be able to pay rent and security deposits by check and money order — a portal-only policy is no longer allowed. Our breakdown of the new rent payment rules covers the workflow changes.
• Written receipts are required for payments made by cash, check, or money order.
• Any payment processing fee is capped at the landlord's actual third-party cost — marked-up "convenience fees" are now illegal, and at least one fee-free payment option must always exist.
• Landlords can no longer charge tenants a maintenance fee or repair fee for general upkeep. Only repairs caused by the tenant's own lease violation remain chargeable.

Coming July 1, 2027: three more changes to plan for now

The General Assembly also passed a second wave with a delayed effective date:

• 90-day rent increase notice (HB 678, amending § 55.1-1204): landlords with more than four units must give at least 90 days' written notice of a rent increase before the lease term ends, and the notice must give the tenant a renewal-decision deadline no sooner than 30 days after delivery. Renewal calendars, pricing decisions, and approval workflows need to move roughly a quarter earlier.
• Up-front screening disclosure (amending § 55.1-1203): before collecting an application fee or applicant information, landlords must disclose the fee amount and refundability, the tenant-selection criteria, the criteria that trigger automatic or possible denial, and consumer-reporting information. A standardized disclosure packet is the practical answer.
• Mandatory payment plans before eviction (HB 95): landlords with more than four units must offer a written payment plan before terminating for nonpayment when the amount owed is no more than one month's rent plus contracted late charges. The plan spreads the balance in equal monthly installments over the lesser of six months or the remaining lease term — adding a required step in front of the 14-day notice sequence.

We'll publish dedicated guides to each 2027 change as the effective date approaches.

What should Virginia landlords do right now?

• Replace every 5-day notice template with a compliant 14-day version — and start attaching an itemized ledger now, ahead of the 2027 SB 294 requirement.
• Audit your payment setup: check/money order acceptance, receipts, a fee-free option, and processing fees at documented actual cost.
• Strip automatic maintenance or repair fees out of leases and addenda.
• Calendar the July 2027 changes — especially the 90-day rent-increase notice, which effectively moves every renewal decision up by three months.
• If this is more compliance overhead than you want to own, this is exactly what professional management absorbs. Century 21 Accent Homes keeps notices, leases, payment workflows, and ledgers compliant as the law moves — for a flat $350 per month, backed by six written guarantees.

Frequently asked questions

What is the biggest 2026 change for Virginia landlords? The eviction notice for nonpayment tripled from 5 days to 14 days effective July 1, 2026. Outdated 5-day notice templates are now the fastest way to get an eviction case dismissed, and a separate 2027 law (SB 294) will additionally require an itemized statement of charges with every nonpayment notice.

Do the new Virginia laws apply to small landlords? The 14-day notice and itemized-statement rules apply to all VRLTA landlords. Several other provisions — the payment-method rules, fee caps, maintenance-fee ban, 90-day rent-increase notice, and payment-plan requirement — exempt landlords with four or fewer rental units (or a 10% or smaller interest in four or fewer).

What changes on July 1, 2027? Three things: a 90-day written notice requirement for rent increases (5+ units), mandatory disclosure of screening criteria and application fees before collecting them, and a required payment-plan offer before nonpayment evictions where the arrears are one month's rent or less (5+ units).

*This article is for general information and is not legal advice. Consult a Virginia attorney about your specific situation.*