A Virginia eviction notice is a written notice a landlord serves on a tenant to end a tenancy. The reason may be nonpayment of rent, a lease violation, or no cause at all, and the landlord must serve this notice before filing an eviction case in court. Virginia law sets the notice period and any cure window for each reason.[1] A landlord cannot remove a tenant without following this process. Use FormsPal’s builder below to create a Virginia eviction notice, or download a free eviction notice template.
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Last Updated: September 2026. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current Virginia law. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us.
Virginia's eviction rules are commonly referred to as the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. This law sets the notice period, any cure window, and the court process a landlord must follow before removing a tenant from a rental unit.[1] In practice, these rules cover most residential leases in the state, from the first notice to the final court order.
In practice, a landlord ends a tenancy for one of the reasons the lease or the statute recognizes. Virginia recognizes several grounds for eviction:
| Nonpayment of Rent | 14 days after written notice[1] |
| Curable Lease Violation | 21 days to cure, tenancy ends 30 days after notice if not cured[1] |
| Repeat Violation of the Same Kind | Tenancy ends 30 days after notice, no cure period[1] |
| Noncurable or Safety-Threatening Violation | Landlord may terminate immediately[1] |
| Week-to-Week Tenancy (no cause) | 7 days before the next rent due date[3] |
| Month-to-Month Tenancy (no cause) | 30 days before the next rent due date[3] |
| State Law | Virginia Code, Title 55.1, Chapter 12 (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act) |
A Virginia eviction notice is sometimes called a notice to quit, a notice to vacate, or a notice of non-compliance, depending on why the tenancy is ending.
Virginia landlords use different eviction notices depending on why the tenancy is ending. A 14-day notice covers nonpayment of rent. A 21-day cure notice covers a lease violation the tenant can still fix. A 30-day notice with no cure period covers a violation that cannot be fixed, or a repeat of an earlier violation.[1]
This notice is used as a reminder to pay rent or as a requirement to vacate the rental premises. The tenant has fourteen days after written notice to pay in full before the landlord may end the rental agreement and seek possession of the unit.[1] If the notice is ignored, the property owner may proceed to obtain possession of the premises.[1] In practice that means filing an eviction case in court.
The property owner uses this notice if the tenant has breached a term of the rental agreement that can still be fixed. The tenant is told to fix the violation within 21 days, and if it is not fixed the rental agreement ends no sooner than 30 days after the tenant receives the notice.[1] If the tenant fixes the violation within that period, the rental agreement does not terminate and the tenancy continues.[1]
If the lease violation cannot be fixed, such as serious intentional damage to the property, the landlord uses a 30-day unconditional quit notice instead. This notice tells the tenant the rental dwelling must be vacated within 30 days, with no chance to cure.[1] The same notice applies when a tenant repeats a violation similar to one they were warned about before. In that case, the notice must reference the earlier violation.[1]
Some violations let a Virginia landlord skip the notice period entirely.
To end this type of tenancy, a landlord needs to wait until the lease term expires. When that happens, the landlord may ask the tenant to leave with no additional notice, unless the lease itself requires one.
Either the landlord or the tenant may end a week-to-week tenancy by giving written notice at least seven days before the next rent due date.[3]
Either the landlord or the tenant may end a month-to-month tenancy by giving written notice at least 30 days before the next rent due date. The lease may set a different notice period instead.[3]
Virginia law adds extra protections in a few specific situations. A lease does not terminate solely because of an act of family abuse committed against the tenant.[1]
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Once a notice period expires without a cure, a Virginia landlord who wants to remove a tenant must go to court rather than act alone.[2] Self-help measures like changing the locks or shutting off utilities are not allowed. The case follows a set timeline from the notice to the sheriff’s writ of eviction.[2]
A Virginia landlord may not force a tenant out without a court order.[2] The landlord may not recover or take possession of the unit by cutting off an essential service. The landlord also may not refuse the tenant access to the unit, unless a court has already ordered possession.[2]
No. A Virginia landlord may not force a tenant out by self-help. State law limits what a landlord may do outside the legal process to retake the premises, cut off services, or take control of a tenant’s belongings. Only a court order lets a landlord actually remove a tenant.[2]
Virginia eviction cases use a small set of court forms once the landlord files suit. These documents notify the tenant of the hearing and, if the landlord wins, authorize a law enforcement officer to remove the tenant from the property.
This page is general information about Virginia eviction notices, not legal advice. For advice on your situation, talk to a Virginia landlord-tenant attorney.