Virginia rental law changed in several important ways during the 2026 legislative cycle. Some changes are already affecting leases, notices, maintenance, and court procedures. Others were enacted in 2026 but do not take effect until 2027.
For Richmond-area rental owners, this annual update works alongside PMI James River's broader guide to Virginia landlord-tenant law. Owners dealing specifically with nonpayment and possession can also use PMI James River's eviction process support. The purpose here is narrower: identify the landlord-tenant changes enacted or materially considered in 2026, separate what is already effective from what is still ahead, and connect each issue to the more detailed guidance where it matters.
Key Takeaways
- Virginia's nonpayment cure period increased from five days to 14 days beginning July 1, 2026.
- Several other 2026 changes are already effective, including rules involving landlord-provided central air conditioning, maintenance and repair fees, rent payment methods, military lease termination, eviction diversion, and landlord noncompliance defenses.
- Additional laws enacted in 2026 take effect January 1 or July 1, 2027, including expanded retaliation protections, fire and casualty procedures, rent escrow changes, application disclosures, tenant record requirements, a 90-day rent-increase notice rule for covered landlords, and a required pre-eviction payment-plan offer in qualifying cases.
- Virginia considered rent-control legislation in 2026, but did not enact general local rent-control authority.
- Owners should update forms and operating procedures based on each law's actual effective date rather than treating all 2026 legislation as immediately effective.
In This Guide
- How to Read the 2026 Law Changes
- Changes Already Effective in 2026
- What Did Not Become Law in 2026: Rent Control
- Changes Effective January 1, 2027
- Changes Effective July 1, 2027
- What Rental Owners Should Update Now
How to Read the 2026 Law Changes
The phrase "2026 law changes" can be misleading because the General Assembly can pass a law in one year with an effective date in the next. That happened repeatedly in the 2026 session. An owner reviewing a lease, notice form, application process, or rent-collection procedure therefore needs to answer two separate questions: what did Virginia enact in 2026, and when does that particular provision actually take effect?
This article uses three timing groups:
| Timing | What It Means | Owner Response |
|---|---|---|
| Already effective in 2026 | The rule is part of current operating law. | Forms, lease language, notices, and procedures should already reflect it where applicable. |
| Effective January 1, 2027 | The law was enacted in 2026 but has a delayed effective date. | Prepare forms and procedures before year-end rather than applying the rule early. |
| Effective July 1, 2027 | The law was enacted in 2026 but gives owners and operators more implementation time. | Build the change into 2027 leasing, renewal, application, records, and collection workflows before the effective date. |
The broader implementation picture is covered in Virginia landlord-tenant law changes coming in 2027. This 2026 page remains the chronology of what Virginia enacted or materially considered during the 2026 legislative cycle.
Changes Already Effective in 2026
The Nonpayment Cure Period Is Now 14 Days
One of the most immediate changes for rental owners was Virginia's extension of the nonpayment cure period. Under the current version of Virginia Code § 55.1-1245, when rent is unpaid, the landlord may terminate the rental agreement only after giving written notice that the tenant has 14 days to pay or face termination.
That replaced the former five-day period. The practical effect is that informal delay before serving a valid notice now pushes the timeline even farther out. At PMI James River, the operating approach is to serve the notice when rent is late rather than spend several additional days trying to resolve the delinquency before the statutory clock even starts. The owner and resident can still work toward payment during the notice period.
The detailed process is covered in Virginia's 14-day nonpayment notice.
Landlord-Provided Central Air Conditioning Can Be an Essential Service
Virginia also updated the statutory definition of an essential service. The current definition in Virginia Code § 55.1-1200 includes central air conditioning when the landlord supplies it and it was operating, or represented as operating, when the rental agreement took effect.
That does not mean every rental in Virginia must have central air conditioning. It does mean owners who provide a qualifying central-air system need to treat loss of that service within the legal framework that applies to essential services. The dedicated guide to air conditioning as an essential service addresses that distinction in more detail.
Maintenance and Repair Fees Face a Clearer Limitation
Virginia Code § 55.1-1208 now states that a landlord generally may not require a tenant to pay a fee for maintenance or repair of the dwelling unit unless the work was necessitated by the tenant's violation of a requirement imposed by the VRLTA. The current statutory language appears in § 55.1-1208.
This makes it especially important to distinguish a legitimate tenant-caused charge from a routine maintenance fee imposed simply because work was performed. Virginia maintenance and repair fee rules deserve their own review when lease language or resident charge policies are being updated.
Rent Payment Methods and Processing Fees Changed
The 2026 amendments also affect how rent can be paid and when a processing fee can be charged. Under the current version of Virginia Code § 55.1-1204, landlords must accept periodic rent and security deposits by check and money order, subject to the statute's terms. The law also limits collection or processing fees when the landlord does not provide an alternative payment method without a fee, and ties a permitted processing fee to the landlord's actual third-party expense.
That is a meaningful operational issue for owners using online payment platforms. The narrow guide to Virginia rent payment method rules explains the current payment-method and fee requirements.
Military Lease Termination Rules Were Revised
Virginia's military lease-termination statute was also amended in 2026. The change removed the former restriction that limited use of the state-law termination right to orders received no more than 60 days before the required departure. The current statute is Virginia Code § 55.1-1235.
Owners with military residents should not rely on an older lease summary or checklist that still assumes the former 60-day restriction. The dedicated article on military lease termination in Virginia addresses the updated rule.
The Eviction Diversion Program Was Revised
Virginia also amended the statutory Eviction Diversion Program. Eligibility and court procedures remain technical, including requirements tied to the first docket call and payment of at least 10 percent of the amount due in qualifying cases.
Owners handling a nonpayment case should therefore treat diversion eligibility as part of the court process rather than assume that serving the notice determines the entire path. The more focused Virginia Eviction Diversion Program guide addresses the current framework.
Landlord Noncompliance Defenses and Remedies Were Updated
Changes to Virginia Code § 55.1-1241 also revised the remedies available when a tenant raises a landlord noncompliance defense in an action for possession based on nonpayment. Depending on the facts and the court's findings, the statute addresses remedies such as rent reduction, termination at the tenant's request, or an order requiring repairs, along with provisions governing costs and attorney fees.
For owners, the lesson is practical: habitability records, maintenance response documentation, access records, and proof of completed work can matter directly in a possession case. The broader procedural relationship between defects, tenant assertions, and escrow is covered in Virginia rent escrow and habitability claims.
What Did Not Become Law in 2026: Rent Control
Not every significant landlord-tenant proposal from the 2026 General Assembly became law. Rent control is one of the clearest examples.
House Bill 1177 would have allowed localities to adopt rent-stabilization programs under specified conditions, but the bill was struck from the House General Laws docket. The Virginia Housing Commission's 2026 rent-control study plan shows that House Bill 278 was sent to the Commission for further study and Senate Bill 355 was continued to 2027.
The important point for rental owners is that Virginia did not enact general local rent-control authority in 2026. Owners should distinguish that outcome from the separate 90-day rent-increase notice law that takes effect for covered landlords in 2027. A notice requirement regulates timing and disclosure. It is not a cap on the amount of a lawful rent increase.
The dedicated guide to Virginia rent control proposals in 2026 explains what rent control means, what Virginia lawmakers considered, and what the 2026 outcome means for rental owners.
Changes Effective January 1, 2027
Retaliation Protections Expand
The future version of Virginia Code § 55.1-1258, effective January 1, 2027, expands the activities protected by Virginia's landlord-retaliation statute and broadens the conduct that can qualify as retaliatory.
For owners, this makes documentation around notices, lease enforcement, renewals, rent decisions, and other adverse actions more important when a resident has recently engaged in protected activity. The detailed article on Virginia's expanded landlord retaliation protections addresses the new framework.
Fire and Casualty Procedures Change
The future version of Virginia Code § 55.1-1240 changes the procedures that apply after fire or casualty damage. Among other changes, the statute addresses termination timing, landlord evaluation of the unit, comparable dwelling options in certain circumstances, and later reevaluation.
Owners should not wait for a fire or casualty event to discover that an old checklist no longer matches the statute. The focused guide to Virginia rental fire and casualty rules is the better place for the detailed procedure.
Rent Escrow and Tenant Assertion Procedures Change
The future version of Virginia Code § 55.1-1244 changes important parts of the tenant assertion and rent escrow process. A tenant will not have to pay all previously outstanding rent, late charges, attorney fees, and other charges merely to file the assertion. The statute instead focuses on payment of ongoing rent into court as it becomes due, subject to the new procedure.
That makes accurate ledgers, repair records, notices, and court documentation even more important. The dedicated Virginia rent escrow and habitability claims article ties those pieces together.
Portable Solar Devices Receive New Protection
A new section, Virginia Code § 55.1-1212.1, takes effect January 1, 2027. For landlords covered by the statute's ownership threshold, the law restricts blanket prohibitions on qualifying small portable solar devices placed on the exterior of a dwelling, while allowing reasonable restrictions on size, placement, and manner of installation.
This is a narrower issue than the major notice and eviction changes, but lease rules that broadly prohibit all exterior devices may need review before 2027.
Changes Effective July 1, 2027
Some Landlords Will Need 90 Days' Notice Before a Rent Increase
Beginning July 1, 2027, the future version of Virginia Code § 55.1-1204 requires covered landlords to provide notice of a rent increase at least 90 days before the end of the rental agreement term. The notice also must give the tenant a decision deadline no sooner than 30 days after the notice. The statute includes an ownership threshold and specific exceptions, so the requirement should not be reduced to a blanket statement that every Virginia landlord must always give 90 days' notice.
This is a notice-timing rule, not rent control. The detailed scope and implementation are covered in Virginia's 90-day rent increase notice requirement.
Rental Application Disclosures Become More Detailed
The future version of Virginia Code § 55.1-1203 adds pre-application disclosure requirements beginning July 1, 2027. Before requesting or collecting payment or certain information from a prospective tenant, a covered landlord must provide specified information about fees and deposits, selection criteria, automatic denial criteria, other possible denial criteria, and consumer-reporting information when applicable.
Owners using an application portal or third-party screening system should plan to update the workflow before the effective date, not just revise a PDF after applications are already being collected. The dedicated guide to Virginia rental application disclosure requirements addresses the new process.
Tenant Record and Accounting Requests Expand
Beginning July 1, 2027, the future version of Virginia Code § 55.1-1209 requires covered landlords to respond to certain written tenant requests within 10 business days with an accounting of charges and payments over the tenancy or the preceding 12 months, whichever is shorter. The law also addresses utility-allocation information when submetering, energy allocation equipment, or ratio utility billing is used.
That is an accounting-system requirement as much as a legal one. Owners need records that can actually produce the required information. Virginia tenant record request requirements covers the detailed scope and exceptions.
A Required Payment-Plan Offer Will Apply Before Some Nonpayment Terminations
The July 1, 2027 version of Virginia Code § 55.1-1245 adds a required payment-plan offer for certain covered landlords when the exact amount owed is no more than one month's rent plus lawful late charges. The plan generally divides the amount into equal monthly installments over the lesser of six months or the remaining lease term.
One drafting trap is worth calling out. Earlier legislative summary language described a five-day period for the tenant to pay or enter the plan. The enacted future Code text gives the tenant 14 days. For implementation, the controlling statutory text is what matters.
The narrow guide to a Virginia payment plan before eviction covers when the requirement applies and how it fits with the broader nonpayment process.
What Rental Owners Should Update Now
The best response to a year with this many staggered changes is not to rewrite every document at once. It is to separate current-law corrections from 2027 implementation work.
- Current nonpayment forms: Confirm that notice forms and collection procedures use the 14-day cure period.
- Maintenance and essential-service procedures: Review central-air response procedures and any lease provisions or resident charges involving routine maintenance and repairs.
- Payment policies: Confirm accepted rent-payment methods and processing-fee practices against current law.
- Military termination procedures: Remove older summaries that still rely on the former 60-day timing restriction.
- Eviction files: Keep payment histories, notices, maintenance records, access records, and court documents organized enough to support diversion and landlord-noncompliance issues when they arise.
- January 2027 preparation: Review retaliation, casualty, escrow, and exterior-device provisions before year-end.
- July 2027 preparation: Build the new rent-increase timing, application disclosures, tenant accounting, and payment-plan requirements into leasing and management systems before those rules take effect.
The larger operational lesson is that legal compliance depends on systems. A lease template can be correct while the actual workflow remains outdated. Notice timing, application steps, accounting records, maintenance documentation, and staff procedures all need to match the law that is in effect on the day the action is taken.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did all of Virginia's 2026 landlord-tenant law changes take effect in 2026?
No. Some took effect in 2026, while several laws enacted during the 2026 legislative cycle have delayed effective dates in 2027. Owners should check the effective date of the specific provision before changing a procedure.
Is Virginia rent controlled after the 2026 General Assembly session?
No. Virginia did not enact general local rent-control authority in 2026. Rent-stabilization proposals were introduced, but the relevant proposals were defeated, sent for further study, or continued rather than enacted. This is separate from the 90-day rent-increase notice requirement scheduled to take effect for covered landlords in 2027.
Is the Virginia nonpayment notice still five days?
No. The current statutory cure period is 14 days. Older forms, lease summaries, and online guidance that still describe a five-day pay-or-quit period should not be used as the current rule.
Does the 90-day rent-increase notice rule apply now?
No. The new 90-day requirement is scheduled to take effect July 1, 2027 and applies to landlords covered by the statutory threshold. Until then, owners should follow the law currently in effect.
Does calling central air conditioning an essential service require every Virginia rental to have central AC?
No. The statutory change concerns qualifying central air conditioning that the landlord supplies and that was operating, or represented as operating, when the rental agreement took effect. It is not a statewide mandate that every rental property install central air conditioning.
Should owners update their lease now for laws that do not take effect until 2027?
Preparation should begin before the effective date, especially where a change affects forms, application portals, renewal calendars, accounting systems, or staff procedures. The new rule should not be represented as current law before its effective date, but waiting until the effective date to begin implementation can create avoidable problems.
Conclusion
Virginia's 2026 legislative cycle changed several parts of rental-property operations and created a second wave of requirements that arrive in 2027. The important distinction is timing. Some rules already govern today's notices, maintenance, payment, military termination, and court procedures. Others require preparation now but do not control until their stated 2027 effective dates.
Rental owners do not need to memorize every statutory amendment. They do need dependable systems that keep notices, lease language, application procedures, maintenance records, accounting, and renewal timelines synchronized with current law. That is especially important when multiple changes take effect on different dates.
For owners dealing with nonpayment or a possession case, PMI James River's Virginia eviction support provides a documented process for moving from notice through the next lawful step.
Published: August 27, 2026
