Free Virginia Lease Agreement Template

Last updated July 17, 2026

What is a Virginia residential lease agreement?

A Virginia residential lease agreement is the written record of a rental arrangement for a home in Virginia. It identifies the parties and the premises, sets the rent and term, allocates utilities and maintenance, and provides a written place for house rules and required disclosures. Most residential tenancies in Virginia are governed by the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (VRLTA) in title 55.1, chapter 12 of the Code of Virginia, which sets baseline rules the parties cannot simply contract around. The free PDF and Word versions on this page are labeled for Virginia and are a practical starting document — not a substitute for checking which statutes, disclosures, and local rules apply to a particular property.

Virginia's act applies statewide rather than using a small-landlord unit-count shortcut, and it works through property-, program-, employment-, sale-, and hotel-specific exclusions in § 55.1-1201. Because the currently effective text controls — and several sections have alternate versions scheduled for 2027 and later — confirm the live statute for the property before you rely on any single term.

Virginia security deposits and move-out accounting

Under § 55.1-1226, a Virginia security deposit is capped at two months' periodic rent. A landlord may apply it only to accrued rent and reasonable charges, tenant-caused damage beyond ordinary wear and tear, other actual damages for a lease or chapter breach, and qualifying utility or water and sewer charges. The balance, with an itemization of any deductions, is generally due within 45 days after the tenancy terminates or the tenant vacates, whichever occurs last, subject to the statute's damage-estimate and move-out-inspection steps.

Two documentation habits protect both sides in Virginia: complete the written move-in condition report on time (see below), and keep dated photographs and communications from move-in through move-out. A Virginia lease should name a forwarding or notice address and leave room for the required inspection process instead of trying to settle every future deduction in advance.

Move-in condition, mold, and required disclosures

Virginia expects a written move-in condition report within five days after occupancy (unless the parties use the statute's tenant-prepared or joint-report option), with five days for the tenant to object. That report must address visible mold: if visible mold exists, the tenant may terminate and decline possession or elect to remain, and a tenant who remains is entitled to remediation within five business days, a reinspection, and a new report (§§ 55.1-1214, 55.1-1215).

Virginia also requires specific written disclosures. At or before the tenancy, the landlord discloses the name and address of the manager and of an owner or authorized service recipient, and keeps that information current (§ 55.1-1216). Before execution or occupancy, the applicable military air installation zone, known unremediated defective drywall, and known prior methamphetamine manufacture disclosures apply. Pre-1978 housing also triggers the separate federal lead-based-paint disclosure process.

Notice and termination rules in Virginia

Virginia ties termination to the cause and the tenancy type. For nonpayment of rent, the landlord uses the current five-day written pay-or-terminate notice. For a remediable material breach, the statute uses a 30-day termination with a 21-day cure opportunity; non-remediable and immediate-termination branches apply only when their facts exist (§ 55.1-1245). To end a periodic tenancy under § 55.1-1253, use 7 days for week-to-week and 30 days before the next rent due date for month-to-month, unless the lease lawfully provides otherwise, and 60 days for a qualifying mass non-renewal.

What to include in a Virginia lease

• Parties and premises — the parties' full legal names, the complete Virginia property address, and any included parking, storage, or shared spaces.
• Term and rent — whether the tenancy is fixed-term or periodic, when it begins, when rent is due, accepted payment methods, and any written late-charge term within the statutory cap.
• Deposits and first-page charges — the deposit amount and each pre-commencement or first-payment charge, itemized on the first page above the required statutory statement.
• Condition, maintenance, and access — the move-in report, repair responsibilities, and reasonable-access terms, including the 72-hour notice and 14-day completion window for unrequested routine maintenance under § 55.1-1229.
• Disclosures and rights statement — landlord identity information, any property-hazard disclosures that apply, and the current Department of Housing and Community Development rights-and-responsibilities statement delivered with the signed lease.

Before signing a Virginia lease

Compare the completed Virginia lease with the current text of the VRLTA and the property's actual facts. Chapter 12 supersedes local landlord-tenant ordinances, but it does not eliminate local property-maintenance codes or a locality's authorized rental-inspection district under § 36-105.1:1 — so confirm the property address and any local certificate or inspection requirement before signing. Public or subsidized housing, manufactured-home parks, condominiums, recovery residences, and transient lodging can each follow additional rules.

Give every party the same final version to review, deliver the signed agreement and the rights statement within the statutory window, and keep the fully executed copy. For an eviction or disputed termination, unusual fees, regulated housing, or a property in a locality with extra requirements, get advice about the specific facts before relying on a template.