State Guide
Landlord–tenant law in Virginia
The rules that come up in practice — returning a deposit, charging a late fee, raising the rent — each read against the Virginia statute and quoted on its own page.
Security deposit return
Full rule →45 days
The 41st shortest of 49 states with a deadline.
Va. Code 55.1-1226
Late fee limit
Full rule →Lesser of 10% of the periodic rent or 10% of the remaining balance due
No fee until rent is 5 days late.
Va. Code 55.1-1204(D), (E)
Rent increase notice
Full rule →30 days
A statute written specifically about rent increases. The 4th shortest of 49.
Va. Code 55.1-1253(A)
What is distinctive about Virginia
- Deposits: 45 days.
- Late fees: capped at lesser of 10% of the periodic rent or 10% of the remaining balance due. A 5-day grace period is mandatory.
- Rent increases: 30 days under a statute written for the purpose.
The mistake that costs the most here
Charging a late fee above Virginia’s cap. The clause is void rather than reduced, and the tenant’s signature does not save it — which tends to surface in an eviction hearing, exactly when the lease needs to hold up.
Where these figures come from
Each rule above was read against the section it cites and the statutory wording is quoted on the dedicated page, so you can check it rather than take our word for it. That matters more than it sounds on this subject: when we read all 51 jurisdictions we found several widely-published figures to be wrong, including a Kentucky deposit deadline that does not exist, a South Dakota one reported as 14 days when the statute says 21, and late-fee caps for nine states that actually come from their self-storage statutes.
Local ordinances can add requirements the state does not, and statutes move — Washington, Connecticut, Nevada, Rhode Island and Maryland have all changed in the last three years. Each figure carries the date we read it.
States with the same deposit deadline
Common questions about Virginia
- How long does a Virginia landlord have to return a security deposit?
- 45 days under Va. Code 55.1-1226.
- What is the maximum late fee in Virginia?
- lesser of 10% of the periodic rent or 10% of the remaining balance due, under Va. Code 55.1-1204(D), (E). A fee above the cap is unenforceable even if the lease says otherwise.
- How much notice before a rent increase in Virginia?
- 30 days under Va. Code 55.1-1253(A).
- Does Virginia have rent control?
- No statewide frequency limit is verified for Virginia. Only California, Oregon and Washington cap the amount of an increase statewide; some cities do so locally.
Let the software know the Virginia rules
Pacific Rentals Pro checks a lease’s late fee against the Virginia cap, counts the deposit deadline from the move-out date, and works out the latest day to serve a rent increase. Same verified data as this page.
Start free →Virginia rules last read against their cited sources on November 6, 2026. General information, not legal advice — verify the current text before relying on it, and check your city and county, which can impose more than the state does.