Virginia eviction rules

Virginia eviction cases are usually filed as Unlawful Detainer. For non-payment of rent, the statewide notice period shown here is 5 days; lease-violation notices are listed at 21 days; no-cause termination notices are listed at 30 days.

The tenant-protection picture depends on cure rights, local overlays, and whether the tenancy is covered by a special program. Virginia gives tenants a statutory opportunity to cure non-payment before the landlord can proceed. Virginia does not have a broad statewide just-cause requirement in this dataset, but local ordinances or subsidized-housing rules may add one. Self-help eviction is not allowed as the normal route in Virginia; lockouts, utility shutoffs, and removal without court process can create liability. A typical uncontested case can move in roughly 21 to 60 days, but contested cases take longer.