LANDLORD GUIDE · VIRGINIA
Reviewed November 13, 2026
For an existing private residential tenancy. Fixed-term changes, assisted housing, mobile-home spaces and required local forms need a separate review. This guide explains selected rules; it is not a coverage determination or legal advice for a particular property.
Check the current law and its future effective date
Virginia §55.1-1204(K), in effect until July 1, 2027, requires at least 60 days before the end of the agreement term for specified renewal and nonrenewal notices from landlords owning more than four rental units, or more than a 10% interest in more than four units, in Virginia. It applies to the specified renewal arrangements and excludes the periodic tenancy identified in §55.1-1253(C).
The same official page contains a different version effective July 1, 2027, including a 90-day rent-increase notice requirement for the specified renewals. Do not apply that future version as though it were already the rule for every November 2026 monthly tenancy. This monthly planner uses 90 days as a conservative buffer; fixed-term renewals remain outside the tool.
Written consent and tenancy status also matter
Section 55.1-1204(I) provides that a unilateral change is not valid unless the change is properly noticed and both parties consent in writing. Subsection C can create a 12-month tenancy by operation of law where the landlord did not offer a written agreement. Lack of a signed lease therefore does not automatically mean an ordinary monthly tenancy.
Determine the actual agreement and landlord-portfolio facts before preparing the proposal. Keep the current statutory version and the provision applicable to this tenancy in the file. A long notice period alone does not cure missing consent or an incorrect tenancy classification.
Example: a timely letter is not a signed change
The owner proposes $1,575 instead of $1,500 and gives 100 days. The $75 or 5% change and conservative timeline do not replace the written-consent requirement for a modification. Use a clear signed amendment when required, and distinguish acknowledgment of receipt from agreement to the new price.
A practical final review
Confirm the property category, current term, renewal status and applicable effective version of the law. For assisted units, obtain the program's instructions. Make the notice, amendment and ledger use the same amount and date. Preserve actual delivery and the parties' written agreement. Do not use this rent proposal as a substitute for the separate termination and possession procedures.
Official sources and updates
Dated caps apply only to the periods stated. Check the official sources before preparing a later increase.