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Make your Virginia lease
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Virginia Residential Lease Agreement
Fee disclosure statement
No additional security deposits or rent shall be charged unless they are listed below or incorporated into this agreement by way of a separate addendum after execution of this rental agreement.
- Security deposit:
- Rent due each month:
- First month rent (if prorated):
- Pet deposit:
- Other one-time charges due before the start date or with the first rent payment:
1. Parties
This Residential Lease Agreement (the "Lease") is between ("Landlord") and ("Tenant"). If more than one person signs as Tenant, each of them is fully responsible for all of Tenant's obligations under this Lease.
2. Property
Landlord rents to Tenant the residence at (the "Property"), including (parking, storage, appliances or furniture included, if any).
3. Term
This Lease begins on and ends on . If Tenant stays after the end date with Landlord's written consent, the tenancy continues from month to month on the same terms unless the parties sign a new lease or the law where the Property is located provides otherwise.
4. Rent
Tenant will pay rent of per month, in advance, on or before the day of each month, by .
If this Lease starts on a day other than the rent due day, rent for the first partial month is , calculated by dividing the monthly rent by the number of days in that month and multiplying by the number of days Tenant has the Property.
5. Late charges and returned payments
If rent is not received in full within days after it is due, Tenant will pay a late charge of . Tenant will pay for any payment returned unpaid by the bank. No late charge or fee will be more than the law where the Property is located allows.
6. Security deposit
Tenant will pay a security deposit of before moving in. Landlord will hold, apply and return the deposit as required by the law where the Property is located. After Tenant moves out, Landlord will return the deposit, less any lawful deductions with a written itemized list, within the time that law requires. Tenant may not use the deposit as the last month's rent without Landlord's written consent.
7. Occupants and use
Only Tenant and these people may live at the Property: . Tenant will use the Property only as a private residence, follow all laws, and not disturb neighbors.
8. Utilities
Tenant will pay for these utilities and services: . Landlord will pay for all other utilities and services, if any, that serve the Property.
9. Pets
Pets allowed (describe, or write "none"): Pet deposit, if any: . This does not limit assistance animals that Landlord must allow under fair housing law.
10. Smoking
Smoking rules:
11. Maintenance and repairs
Tenant will keep the Property clean and safe, use appliances and fixtures properly, and promptly report any needed repairs to Landlord in writing. Landlord will make repairs the law requires. Tenant will pay for damage caused by Tenant, other occupants or guests, beyond normal wear and tear.
12. Alterations and locks
Tenant will not paint, make alterations, or add or change locks without Landlord's written consent.
13. Landlord entry
Landlord may enter the Property at reasonable times to inspect, make repairs or show it, after giving Tenant at least hours' notice, or any longer notice the law requires. Landlord may enter without notice in an emergency.
14. Subletting and assignment
Tenant will not sublet the Property or assign this Lease without Landlord's written consent.
15. Moving out
When this Lease ends, Tenant will leave the Property clean and in the same condition as at move-in except for normal wear and tear, return all keys, and give Landlord a forwarding address in writing.
16. Move-in inspection report and mold (Va. Code 55.1-1214, 55.1-1215)
Within five days after Tenant takes occupancy, Landlord will give Tenant a written report itemizing damage existing at move-in, including whether there is any visible evidence of mold in areas readily accessible within the interior of the unit. The report is deemed correct unless Tenant objects in writing within five days after receiving it.
17. Routine maintenance notice (Va. Code 55.1-1229)
Unless it is impractical, Landlord will give at least 72 hours' notice of routine maintenance that Tenant did not request, will perform it within 14 days of the notice, and the notice will state the last date the maintenance may be performed.
18. Late charges (Va. Code 55.1-1204)
Any late charge in this Lease will not exceed the lesser of ten percent of the periodic rent or ten percent of the remaining balance due and owed by Tenant.
19. Disclosures
Was the Property built before 1978? If yes, the federal lead-based paint disclosure, signed by both parties, is attached, and Tenant received the EPA pamphlet Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home.
Other disclosures or addenda attached:
20. Notices
Notices to Landlord go to: . Notices to Tenant go to the Property address, or to any other address Tenant gives Landlord in writing.
21. Governing law and entire agreement
This Lease is governed by the law of Virginia, where the Property is located. If any part of this Lease is invalid or conflicts with that law, that part is limited to what the law allows and the rest of the Lease stays in effect. This Lease, with any attached addenda, is the entire agreement. Any change must be in writing and signed by Landlord and Tenant.
22. Additional terms
Signatures
This VA lease agreement template opens with the fee disclosure statement Virginia now requires on the first page, filled in from the amounts you enter. It also builds in the move-in inspection and mold report, the 72-hour routine maintenance notice and the late charge limit, and it warns you if the deposit or late charge is over Virginia's caps.
The first-page fee disclosure in a Virginia lease agreement
Since 2024, Va. Code 55.1-1204.1 requires a landlord to provide, "beginning on the first page of the written rental agreement," an itemization of the security deposit, the rent due each period and any one-time charges due before the start date or with the first rent payment (Va. Code 55.1-1204.1). Immediately above that list the lease must state, word for word:
No additional security deposits or rent shall be charged unless they are listed below or incorporated into this agreement by way of a separate addendum after execution of this rental agreement.
The template prints that sentence and the itemized list as the first section of the lease and fills in each amount as you type. Leave nothing out: a deposit or rent charge that is not listed, and not added later by a separate signed addendum, cannot be collected under that sentence.
Virginia lease rules at a glance
| Rule | Virginia | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Fee disclosure statement | Itemize the deposit, rent per period and any one-time charges beginning on the first page of the lease, under the statutory sentence | 55.1-1204.1 |
| Security deposit limit | Two months' rent | 55.1-1226(A) |
| Deposit return | Itemized written notice and any refund within 45 days after the tenancy ends or the tenant leaves, whichever is later | 55.1-1226 |
| Late fees | Only if the written lease provides for them; no more than the lesser of 10% of the rent or 10% of the remaining balance | 55.1-1204(E) |
| Landlord entry | Notice of intent to enter and only at reasonable times; at least 72 hours' notice for routine maintenance the tenant did not request | 55.1-1229 |
| Move-in report | Within 5 days after occupancy, including visible mold; tenant has 5 days to object | 55.1-1214; 55.1-1215 |
| Application fee | No more than $50 plus actual third-party screening costs ($32 for HUD-regulated units) | 55.1-1203 |
| Ending month to month | 30 days' written notice before the next rent due date, unless the lease sets a different period | 55.1-1253 |
| Other disclosures | Separate sections cover property next to a military air installation, defective drywall and former methamphetamine labs | 55.1-1217 to 1219 |
From the Code of Virginia on law.lis.virginia.gov, read November 2, 2026. Section 55.1-1203 shows a version effective until July 1, 2027 and one effective that date; the fee caps are the same in both. A template, not legal advice.
Move-in inspection and mold report
Virginia puts the move-in report on the landlord: "The landlord shall, within five days after occupancy of a dwelling unit, submit a written report to the tenant itemizing damages to the dwelling unit existing at the time of occupancy" (55.1-1214). The same report must say "whether there is any visible evidence of mold" (55.1-1215). Our move-in checklist works as that report.
Worked example: $1,600 a month
- Largest security deposit: 2 x $1,600 = $3,200.
- Largest late charge: 10% of rent = $160, or less if 10% of the balance still owed is lower.
- Deposit back, itemized, within 45 days of move-out.
How to use this VA lease agreement template
- Enter the deposit, monthly rent, any prorated first month and any pet deposit; they appear in the first-page fee statement.
- Write any other one-time charge on the line provided, or it should not be charged.
- Set a late charge no higher than 10% of rent.
- Sign, then give the move-in report within 5 days of occupancy.
- At move-out, send the itemized deposit notice within 45 days with the deposit return letter.
For a rolling agreement use the month-to-month lease. Screening applicants first? Virginia's $50 application fee cap is explained in the rental application fee guide. The general version is our lease agreement template.
More state versions: New York, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, Illinois, New Jersey, Washington and Maryland.
Frequently asked questions
What must be on the first page of a Virginia lease?
An itemization of the security deposit, rent per period and any one-time charges, under the sentence: no additional security deposits or rent shall be charged unless listed below or added by a separate addendum after signing (Va. Code 55.1-1204.1).
What is the maximum security deposit in Virginia?
Two months' periodic rent (Va. Code 55.1-1226). It must be returned, with an itemized notice of any deductions, within 45 days after the tenancy ends.
How much notice must a Virginia landlord give to enter?
Notice of intent to enter, at reasonable times, and at least 72 hours' notice for routine maintenance the tenant did not request, except in emergencies or where impractical (Va. Code 55.1-1229).
What is the late fee limit in Virginia?
A late charge must be in the written lease and cannot exceed the lesser of 10% of the periodic rent or 10% of the remaining balance owed (Va. Code 55.1-1204(E)).
How much can a Virginia landlord charge for an application?
No more than $50 plus actual out-of-pocket costs paid to a third party for background or credit checks; $32 plus those costs for HUD-regulated units (Va. Code 55.1-1203).