Can a domestic violence victim end a lease early in Virginia?
In Virginia, a tenant who is a victim of family abuse, sexual abuse or criminal sexual assault, stalking or trafficking may end the tenant’s obligations under the rental agreement by serving a written notice of termination effective 28 days after service, with a copy of the protective order or of the conviction order, warrant, summons, information or indictment. The right requires a protective order obtained during the term of an active rental agreement, with the notice given while the order or any extension is in effect, or a conviction or a criminal charge against the perpetrator for one of the listed crimes against the victim during the term. Rent is payable as the rental agreement requires through the effective date of the termination, and the landlord may not charge any liquidated damages. Co-tenants on the lease remain responsible for the rent for the balance of the term, and if the perpetrator is the remaining sole tenant the landlord may terminate the rental agreement and collect actual damages from the perpetrator. A conviction supports terminating the rental agreement in effect when the conviction order is entered and one subsequent rental agreement. This is Va. Code § 55.1-1236.
| What | Virginia |
|---|---|
| Ending the lease early | Notice effective 28 days later, with the order or charge |
What the statute says
“… shall do so by serving on the landlord a written notice of termination to be effective 28 days after the tenant serves the termination notice on the landlord.”
Quoted word for word from the section’s text.
Source
Va. Code § 55.1-1236
Read the statute in the Code of Virginia (Virginia General Assembly): law.lis.virginia.gov.
Checked against the statute on November 15, 2026.
This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.
How Seayora uses this rule
Seayora keeps every lease’s term, rent and signers in one record and dates every change to it. This page states the state’s rule so a lease’s own early-termination and sublet clauses can be checked against it before the lease is signed.
Guides on this rule
- Breaking a Lease for Domestic Violence: Laws by State — How a domestic violence victim can end a lease early, with the notice, documents and rent rule in each of the 39 jurisdictions with a statute.
Compare this rule in every state
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The same question in other states
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky