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Virginia: four laws start Jan 1, 2027, five more on Jul 1, 2027
Four signed laws start Jan 1, 2027, and five more start Jul 1; a chapter pair is one law. The Act they amend has no general small-owner exemption; four of the nine set their own unit line, and each row names it. Signed laws found as of Nov 6, 2026. City and county rules are not covered.
The laws
| Starts | The law | What changed | Who it reaches | The signed text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| StartsJan 1, 2027.Signed May 14, 2026; enactment clause 2 of the act sets January 1, 2027, with no limit to new leases. | The law2026 Acts ch. 1111 (HB 329), Va. Code 55.1-1258.#c-1111 | What changedThe retaliation section grows: five protected tenant acts, up from four, and the landlord’s barred acts now name a rent or fee increase and a selective rule or service change (B). Until Jan 1 the section says the tenant must prove retaliatory intent; that sentence is deleted, with nothing in its place. The safe list grows to nine (C). | Who it reachesAny landlord under the Act: it names no unit count and no owner type, and its exempt list is living arrangements, never size (55.1-1201). Outside it: the nine safe-list items, and a rent increase to what similar market rentals charge (B). | The signed text2026 Acts ch. 1111 (HB 329); Va. Code 55.1-1258 prints both versions. Chapter and Code read Nov 6, 2026. |
| StartsJan 1, 2027.Signed May 14, 2026; enactment clause 2 of the act sets January 1, 2027, with no limit to new leases. | The law2026 Acts ch. 1118 (HB 848), Va. Code 55.1-1244.#c-1118 | What changedThe tenant’s assertion no longer waits on rent paid into court. Rent coming due during the case goes into court escrow; a missed escrow payment is not grounds for dismissal but may count at the order stage (55.1-1244 C). The owner keeps possession under 55.1-1245 F when an escrow payment is missed, and a money judgment for everything due. | Who it reachesAny landlord under the Act; the section names no unit count (55.1-1201). Outside it: an owner facing no tenant’s assertion. The tenant must still show that the owner refused or failed to fix after written or agency notice, and more than 30 days from receipt is presumed unreasonable (B). | The signed text2026 Acts ch. 1118 (HB 848); Va. Code 55.1-1244, both versions. Chapter and Code read Nov 6, 2026. |
| StartsJan 1, 2027.Signed May 14, 2026; enactment clause 2 of the act sets January 1, 2027, with no limit to new leases. | The law2026 Acts ch. 1117 (HB 834), Va. Code 55.1-1240.#c-1117 | What changedAfter a fire or casualty, the landlord’s termination notice and the tenant’s notice after vacating go from 14 days to 21 (55.1-1240 B, C). Before the owner’s notice: a meeting or a reasonable effort at one, plus working out whether a substantially similar unit in the same complex is available and offering it if so (C.1); or a finding that the tenant’s 55.1-1227 violation caused the damage (C.2). Within seven days of the notice, the tenant may ask in writing for a reevaluation (D). | Who it reachesEither party, any landlord under the Act; no unit count (55.1-1201). The section does not define complex. Outside it: an owner with no fire or casualty damage to a unit. | The signed text2026 Acts ch. 1117 (HB 834); Va. Code 55.1-1240, both versions. Chapter and Code read Nov 6, 2026. |
| StartsJan 1, 2027.Both signed Apr 22, 2026; enactment clause 4 of each sets January 1, 2027 for the first enactment, which holds the new section, with no limit to new leases. | The law2026 Acts cc. 998 (SB 250) and 1052 (HB 395), one law; new Va. Code 55.1-1212.1.#cc-998-1052 | What changedA landlord over the threshold below may not bar a tenant’s plug-in solar device, up to 1,200 watts a unit, on the exterior (B), after seven days’ notice with documentation (C); size, place and manner limits stay open (B, C). A tenant on a ratio utility billing system may not install one (E). One line has no unit count: no landlord is liable for a habitability claim caused solely by the device (D). | Who it reachesA landlord “who owns more than four rental dwelling units or more than a 10 percent interest in more than four rental dwelling units, whether individually or through a business entity, in the Commonwealth” (B). Outside the ban: an owner of four or fewer units holding no such stake. | The signed text2026 Acts ch. 998 (SB 250) and ch. 1052 (HB 395), the section and the enactment clauses; Va. Code 55.1-1212.1. Read Nov 6, 2026. |
| StartsJul 1, 2027.Both signed Apr 13, 2026; enactment clause 2 of each sets July 1, 2027, with no limit to new leases. | The law2026 Acts cc. 783 (HB 1361) and 784 (SB 294), one law; Va. Code 55.1-1202 E.#cc-783-784 | What changed“No notice of termination of tenancy for nonpayment of rent shall be effective unless such notice contains a written statement of charges and payments over the course of the tenancy or the past 12 months, whichever is shorter”, plus charges due (55.1-1202 E). Also 8.01-126 (no unlawful detainer without a termination notice) and submetering records (55.1-1212). | Who it reachesAny landlord under the Act; the subsection has no unit line, and the Act names no small-owner exemption (55.1-1201). Outside it: an owner sending no termination notice for nonpayment. | The signed text2026 Acts ch. 783 (HB 1361) and ch. 784 (SB 294); Va. Code 55.1-1202, the version effective Jul 1, 2027. Chapters and Code read Nov 6, 2026. |
| StartsJul 1, 2027.Signed Apr 22, 2026; enactment clause 2 of the act sets July 1, 2027, with no limit to new leases. | The law2026 Acts ch. 1050 (HB 379), Va. Code 55.1-1203 A.#c-1050 | What changed“Prior to requesting or collecting any payment or information about a prospective tenant”, the owner puts in writing or posts the fees and whether each is refundable, the selection criteria, what denies an application automatically and what may deny it, the consumer reporting agency if one is used, and the right to a free report after a denial (55.1-1203 A). If the landlord doesn’t comply, the applicant may recover actual damages, including what they paid, plus attorney fees (E). | Who it reachesAny landlord under the Act; the section has no unit line (55.1-1201). Outside it: an owner taking no payment or information from a prospective tenant. | The signed text2026 Acts ch. 1050 (HB 379); Va. Code 55.1-1203, the version effective Jul 1, 2027. Chapter and Code read Nov 6, 2026. |
| StartsJul 1, 2027.Signed Apr 13, 2026; enactment clause 3 of the act sets July 1, 2027, with no limit to new leases. | The law2026 Acts ch. 640 (HB 616), Va. Code 55.1-1209 F.#c-640 | What changedOn a tenant’s written request, a written statement of charges and payments over the tenancy or the past 12 months, whichever is shorter, within 10 business days (55.1-1209 F). A template from the state’s housing office is named (36-139). | Who it reachesOutside it: an owner of “fewer than four rental dwelling units” (or under a 10 percent interest in more than four) who takes no “state or local rental or utility assistance funds on behalf of the tenant” (F). An owner of exactly four is inside. Separately, 55.1-1204 D already asks any landlord, at any size, for a statement of debits and credits within 10 business days of a written request. | The signed text2026 Acts ch. 640 (HB 616); Va. Code 55.1-1209, the version effective Jul 1, 2027. Chapter and Code read Nov 6, 2026. |
| StartsJul 1, 2027.Signed Apr 22, 2026; enactment clause 2 of the act sets July 1, 2027, with no limit to new leases. | The law2026 Acts ch. 1066 (HB 678), Va. Code 55.1-1204 K.#c-1066 | What changedFor a tenant with a renewal option or automatic renewal, a rent increase notice goes out 90 days before the term ends, was 60, with a reply deadline for the tenant at least 30 days after delivery. A notice of nonrenewal stays at 60 days (55.1-1204 K). | Who it reachesA landlord who owns more than four rental dwelling units, or more than a 10 percent interest in more than four, whether individually or through a business entity (55.1-1204 K). Outside it: an owner of four or fewer units holding no such stake, and a periodic tenancy under 55.1-1253 C. | The signed text2026 Acts ch. 1066 (HB 678), read Nov 6, 2026; Va. Code 55.1-1204, the version effective Jul 1, 2027. |
| StartsJul 1, 2027.Signed May 14, 2026; enactment clause 2 of the act sets July 1, 2027, with no limit to new leases. | The law2026 Acts ch. 1105 (HB 95), Va. Code 55.1-1245 G.#c-1105 | What changedWhere arrears run to one month’s rent plus late charges or less: a written notice of the exact amount and an offered payment plan in equal monthly installments, over six months or the rest of the term, whichever is less, with no new late fees while it is kept. The tenant has 14 days to pay or take the plan, and the plan is owed once a term (55.1-1245 G). The state’s housing office is to post a sample plan (enactment clause 3). | Who it reachesA landlord who owns more than four rental dwelling units, or more than a 10 percent interest in more than four, whether individually or through a business entity (55.1-1245 G). Outside it: an owner of four or fewer units holding no such stake. | The signed text2026 Acts ch. 1105 (HB 95), read Nov 6, 2026; Va. Code 55.1-1245, the version effective Jul 1, 2027. |
A chapter pair is one law: cc. 998 and 1052 enact the same section, and so do cc. 783 and 784.
Days to return the deposit, in eight states
Virginia: 45 days, itemized; 15 more for the itemization if damage tops the deposit and needs a contractor, with notice. Willful failure means the deposit back, plus actual damages and attorney fees.
Checked Nov 5, 2026, at each state’s own statute text.
Signed laws found as of Nov 6, 2026
We read the titles of all 1,132 bills chaptered in 2026, every chapter marked effective Jan 1, 2027 (36 of them) or see bill (67), and the legislature’s 2026 lists of amended sections for Titles 55.1, 8.01, 16.1 and 36, for sections headed Jan 1, 2027. A title search is a filter: a landlord duty inside a chapter titled for something else, outside those four titles, would be missed. The text of the 11 chapters on this page was read on Nov 6, 2026; the text of other chapters was not. Not checked: regulations, court rules and forms, local ordinances. Missed one? Write to hello@landlorddispatch.com.
A Virginia rental? Each of the Jan 1 laws gets its Card or its line in the Jan 1 wave issue, and the Jul 1 five get their Cards in June.