What are the steps to evict a tenant for unpaid rent in Virginia?
In Virginia, an eviction for unpaid rent runs through 4 steps, each set by the statute or court rule beside it: (1) Serve a 14-day pay-or-quit notice — Va. Code § 55.1-1245(F); (2) File a summons for unlawful detainer — Va. Code § 8.01-126; (3) The return date — Va. Code § 55.1-1250; (4) Writ of eviction, no sooner than ten days — Va. Code § 8.01-470. A Virginia tenant may pay everything owed — rent, late fees, court costs and attorney fees — at or before the return date and the case is dismissed. This is the "redemption tender" and it is available once every twelve months. The procedure as a whole is set by Va. Code §§ 55.1-1245, 55.1-1250, 8.01-124, 8.01-126, 55.1-1243.
| What | Virginia |
|---|---|
| Court | General District Court for the city or county where the property is. |
| Steps with a citation | 4 |
Notes
A Virginia tenant may pay everything owed — rent, late fees, court costs and attorney fees — at or before the return date and the case is dismissed. This is the "redemption tender" and it is available once every twelve months.
Source
Va. Code §§ 55.1-1245, 55.1-1250, 8.01-124, 8.01-126, 55.1-1243
Read the statute in the Code of Virginia (Virginia General Assembly): law.lis.virginia.gov.
Checked against the statute on September 16, 2026.
This is a summary of the published procedure, not legal advice. Courts, local rules and the facts of a tenancy change what applies, and a defect in a notice or a filing can end a case. Have a lawyer review anything before it is served or filed.
How Seayora uses this rule
Seayora does not file, serve or appear in an eviction, and is not anybody’s lawyer. When a tenant has stopped paying, it lays out these steps for the property’s own state and city with the statute beside each one, holds back any step that would come too early, keeps an append-only record of the case — and shows the resident what would end it, legal-aid links included.
Guides on this rule
- Can a Landlord Send an Eviction Notice by Email or Text? — The federal E-SIGN Act excludes eviction notices, so state law decides how a notice to pay or quit must be served. California, New York and Florida rules.
- Landlord Retaliation Laws: Protected Tenant Acts and Time Limits — When an eviction, rent increase or cut in services is presumed retaliatory: 180 days in California, six months in Texas, a year in New York.
- The CARES Act 30-Day Notice to Vacate: Is It Still Required? — The CARES Act 30-day notice to vacate still applies to properties with federally backed mortgages or federal assistance. Which properties are covered, and why.
- VAWA Housing Protections: What Assisted-Housing Landlords Must Do — The Violence Against Women Act protects survivors in public housing, vouchers, LIHTC and other assisted housing. Who it covers and what owners must do.
Compare this rule in every state
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The same question in other states
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- District of Columbia
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