Virginia’s 2026 General Assembly Session Brings Significant Changes for Landlords and Manufactured Home Park Owners
Article co-written by Andrew Gay and Summer Associate Randall Shirey
A practical overview of amendments affecting residential landlords, property managers, and manufactured home park owners.
The 2026 Virginia General Assembly Session produced some of the most substantial landlord-tenant law changes in recent years. Many amendments took effect on July 1, 2026, while others do not go into effect until January 1, 2027, or even July 1, 2027, making advance preparation important for compliance.
The 2026 Virginia General Assembly Session produced a broad set of amendments affecting both traditional residential landlords governed by the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (“VRLTA”) and manufactured home park owners operating under the Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act.
These changes impose new notice requirements, disclosure obligations, payment-processing rules, recordkeeping duties, and procedural limitations. Property owners, managers, and housing providers should begin reviewing their leases, notices, accounting practices, and operational procedures now.
Effective Dates at a Glance
Effective Date |
Selected Changes |
| July 1, 2026 | Fourteen-day nonpayment cure period; expanded repair-cost prohibition; broader Eviction Diversion Program eligibility; new locality enforcement authority. |
| January 1, 2027 | Portable solar device rules; expanded fire or casualty termination procedures; broader anti-retaliation protections. |
| July 1, 2027 | Detailed nonpayment notice accountings; pre-application disclosures; payment method and receipt requirements; tenant accounting request obligations; utility billing record changes. |
Key Changes Under the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act
Nonpayment Notice Period Extended from Five Days to Fourteen Days
Perhaps the most significant change for residential landlords is the amendment to Virginia Code § 55.1-1245. Beginning July 1, 2026, tenants must be given fourteen days—not five days—to cure a rent default before a landlord may terminate the rental agreement for nonpayment of rent. This change will lengthen the timeline for many eviction proceedings and should prompt landlords to reevaluate rent collection and enforcement procedures.
Central Air Conditioning Now Considered an “Essential Service”
Virginia Code § 55.1-1200 has been amended to expand the definition of “essential service” to include central air conditioning. As a result, failures involving central air systems may now trigger statutory remedies available to tenants when an essential service is not provided.
Broader Restrictions on Lease Provisions
Effective July 1, 2026, Virginia Code § 55.1-1208 prohibits all landlords—not just public housing authorities—from requiring tenants to pay for maintenance or repairs to a rental unit, except where the expense results from the tenant’s violation of the Act.
Expanded Eviction Diversion Program Eligibility
The General Assembly significantly broadened eligibility for Virginia’s Eviction Diversion Program. Beginning July 1, 2026, the required initial payment is reduced from 25% to 10% of the amount owed, tenants need only demonstrate income rather than employment, and courts must provide information about the program with unlawful detainer summonses. These changes will likely increase participation in payment plans and may affect the timing of possession actions.
Local Governments Granted New Enforcement Authority
Virginia Code § 55.1-1259 now authorizes localities to seek injunctive relief and damages on behalf of tenants for certain violations involving lease noncompliance, fire hazards, and serious threats to life, health, or safety. This amendment represents an expansion of governmental involvement in landlord-tenant disputes.
Important Changes Taking Effect in 2027
New Requirements for Nonpayment Notices
Beginning July 1, 2027, notices based on nonpayment of rent must include detailed accounting information, including charges and payments during the preceding twelve months or the lease term, if shorter; late fees; attorneys’ fees and costs; damages and other amounts claimed due; and utility billing information where submetering or allocation systems are used. Landlords should review their recordkeeping and accounting systems well before these requirements take effect.
Expanded Application and Fee Disclosure Requirements
Also effective July 1, 2027, landlords must provide prospective tenants with disclosures concerning application fees, screening criteria, consumer reports, and disqualifying factors before collecting applications or related payments.
Payment Method and Receipt Requirements
Beginning July 1, 2027, landlords must accept checks and money orders for rent and security deposits. Landlords must also provide written receipts for cash and money-order payments. Additionally, electronic payment processing fees generally may not exceed the landlord’s actual third-party processing costs.
Tenant Accounting Requests
A new amendment to Virginia Code § 55.1-1209 requires many landlords to provide a detailed accounting of tenant charges and payments within ten business days of a written request. Certain small landlords are exempt unless they receive government rental or utility assistance payments on behalf of tenants.
Changes to Rent Escrow and Landlord Noncompliance Claims
The General Assembly also modified procedures governing tenant claims of landlord noncompliance. Tenants are no longer required to deposit disputed rent into court escrow as a prerequisite to asserting certain statutory defenses or initiating certain actions. These amendments may result in increased litigation concerning alleged lease and habitability violations.
Expanded Anti-Retaliation Protections
Beginning January 1, 2027, Virginia’s anti-retaliation provisions will protect a broader range of tenant activities, including fair housing complaints, participation in tenant organizations, and certain communications with media outlets. The legislation also broadens the types of conduct that may be characterized as retaliation, while clarifying several exceptions that allow landlords to take legitimate, non-retaliatory actions based on default, prior notices, lease terms, or other business reasons.
Additional Changes Affecting Residential Landlords
Other noteworthy amendments include authorization for qualifying tenants to install certain portable solar generation devices under prescribed conditions, expanded rights for military tenants to terminate rental agreements, new procedures governing lease termination following fire or casualty damage, and enhanced disclosure requirements related to utility submetering and allocation systems.
Significant Changes for Manufactured Home Park Owners
New Disclosure and Renewal Requirements
Manufactured home park owners must now provide additional disclosures regarding rent, deposits, fees, and insurance obligations. The legislation also alters renewal procedures by making automatic renewal the default in many circumstances and requiring greater notice for nonrenewals.
New Right of First Refusal for Residents
One of the most consequential changes is the creation of a statutory right of first refusal when a manufactured home park is offered for sale. Under new Virginia Code § 55.1-1308.3, resident entities receive a primary opportunity to purchase a park on substantially equivalent terms as a third-party offer, while localities receive a secondary right. Detailed notice requirements accompany these new protections, and purchasers exercising the right generally must commit to preserving the property as a manufactured home park for at least fifteen years.
Increased Exposure for Noncompliance
Additional provisions establish negotiation requirements, affidavit-recording requirements, and substantial statutory damages for failures to comply with the new sale procedures.
Restrictions on Lot Rent Increases
A newly enacted provision prohibits certain lot rent increases while unresolved zoning, building code, fire code, or habitability violations remain outstanding. Tenants may recover improperly collected increases and attorneys’ fees in appropriate circumstances.
Preparing for Compliance
The 2026 legislative changes impose new notice requirements, disclosure obligations, recordkeeping responsibilities, and procedural hurdles that will affect residential landlords and manufactured home park owners throughout Virginia. Many of the amendments require operational changes well in advance of their effective dates, particularly those involving accounting records, tenant disclosures, and payment processing practices. Property owners and managers should review their leases, notices, policies, and administrative procedures now to ensure they are prepared for the upcoming changes.
If you have questions regarding these amendments or how they may affect your business, the attorneys at Gentry Locke can help you evaluate your compliance obligations and develop practical strategies to minimize risk. Contact us today.
