Landlord Tenant Law

Have questions regarding Virginia rental laws and regulations? Click to find answers to many of the complex but common landlord-tenant law questions.

When things turn sour with a tenant who hasn’t paid the rent, or who has broken other terms of a lease, it’s time to consider eviction. Evicting a tenant is a stressful event, and it is rarely an easy process. To compound matters, there are so many myths about the legal steps that can and cannot be taken during eviction. One pervasive fiction is that tenants can’t be turned out of the rental during cold weather. Is this true? Mostly, no. However, there are actions that a landlord may not take during the eviction process. There are also very strict regulations about cutting off heat-related utilities when the thermometer plummets.

It is important to always know your state regulations for landlord tenant laws. Make sure you have all forms and documents that you need to provide and are required to have in your area.

Sometimes, it may seem as if a lease really isn’t necessary when renting property. There are situations that differ from the typical house-for-rent scenario. For instance, these: ¿ You’ve decided to let your favorite cousin move in for a few months while he looks for a job and his own place. Your cousin wants to be fair and pay something toward room and board and, frankly, you could use the extra cash. Since it’s family, and will be for just a short time, do you really need a lease agreement?

With hundreds of thousands of landlords across the United States, there are few tenant issues that haven't been encountered by someone, somewhere, at some time. And out of those experiences come new lease clauses.

Did you know that if you are a Pennsylvania landlord with a tenant who hasn't paid rent - and your written lease agreement states that no notice is required to evict for non-payment of rent - that you can legally start the eviction process without sending your tenant a notice? Yes, that's allowed by Pa. law. But you'd better not try that in the adjacent state of New Jersey. Rights of tenants in the Garden State cannot be waived. A N.J. lease agreement that declares tenant rights are waived, even if the tenant signed the lease, is unenforceable.

It has been more than five years since the federal law on assistance animals got its last major revision; yet, landlords continue to send questions and comments on the topic to our chat, email and online forums. Admittedly, it was a dramatic shift, requiring rental property owners who had traditionally banned dogs and other animals to accept tenants with assistance animals. Even landlords who welcomed pets have been scratching their heads over new guidelines on animal deposits and fees.

Tenant's Must Maintain the Smoke Detectors

Landlords have more liability than most professions, and landlords are often sued based on the implied warranty of habitability; avoid becoming one of them.

If a landlord encounters a domestic violence situation amongst their tenants, local laws may enforce early lease terminations or even prevent evictions.

Natural disasters can leave hundreds of thousands of residents without basic amenities and utilities. Can and should the landlord still collect the rent?

In cities around the country, convicted felons are now considered a protected class who cannot be denied for a rental property based on their criminal status.

This guide to the eviction process will explain the basics of an eviction, including a flow chart of the eviction process from start to finish.

Bed bugs have made a surprising and frightening comeback in the last decade, and no one has more to lose than landlords and property managers.

Here's a quick guide to a landlord's right of entry, to help clarify the blurry line between renters' privacy rights and landlords' property.

Landlords can deduct for repairs of "excessive damage" but not "normal wear and tear". Where is the line drawn for security deposit deductions?

The Fair Housing Act may seem simple, but it has grown increasingly complex since it was enacted in 1968; here's an intro for landlords.