What are squatters’ rights in Virginia?
In Virginia, no one may enter on land or sue to recover it more than 15 years after the right to do so first accrued. An action for unlawful entry or detainer must be brought within three years after the entry or detainer. When the owner of a residential single-family dwelling unit files a summons for unlawful detainer and the court finds that no rental agreement exists or has ever existed with the occupant, that the occupant is there without the owner’s permission, and that the owner gave written notice to vacate at least 72 hours before filing, the court must hold an emergency hearing as soon as practicable and within 14 days of filing. If the case cannot be heard within 14 days, the hearing must be held no later than 30 days after filing. Until that period has run, a person occupying property without permission has no claim to its title. This is Va. Code § 8.01-236; Va. Code § 8.01-126.
| What | Virginia |
|---|---|
| Adverse possession period | 15 years |
| Removing an unauthorized occupant | Through a court proceeding, after notice |
Source
Va. Code § 8.01-236; Va. Code § 8.01-126
Read the statute in the Code of Virginia (Virginia General Assembly): law.lis.virginia.gov.
Checked against the statute on November 13, 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
- Squatters’ Rights by State: Adverse Possession and Removal — How long adverse possession takes in 51 states, what the statutes require, and which states let law enforcement remove a squatter without an eviction case.
Compare this rule in every state
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The same question in other states
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- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
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- Hawaii