Code of Virginia
Chapter 12 - Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act
§ 55.1-1234. Noncompliance by landlord

Except as provided in this chapter, if there is a material noncompliance by the landlord with the rental agreement or a noncompliance with any provision of this chapter, materially affecting health and safety, the tenant may serve a written notice on the landlord specifying the acts and omissions constituting the breach and stating that the rental agreement will terminate upon a date not less than 30 days after receipt of the notice if such breach is not remedied in 21 days.
If the landlord commits a breach that is not remediable, the tenant may serve a written notice on the landlord specifying the acts and omissions constituting the breach and stating that the rental agreement will terminate upon a date not less than 30 days after receipt of the notice.
If the landlord has been served with a prior written notice that required the landlord to remedy a breach, and the landlord remedied such breach, where the landlord intentionally commits a subsequent breach of a like nature as the prior breach, the tenant may serve a written notice on the landlord specifying the acts and omissions constituting the subsequent breach, make reference to the prior breach of a like nature, and state that the rental agreement will terminate upon a date not less than 30 days after receipt of the notice.
If the breach is remediable by repairs and the landlord adequately remedies the breach prior to the date specified in the notice, the rental agreement will not terminate. The tenant may not terminate for a condition caused by the deliberate or negligent act or omission of the tenant, an authorized occupant, or a guest or invitee of the tenant. In addition, the tenant may recover damages and obtain injunctive relief for noncompliance by the landlord with the provisions of the rental agreement or of this chapter. The tenant shall be entitled to recover reasonable attorney fees unless the landlord proves by a preponderance of the evidence that the landlord's actions were reasonable under the circumstances. If the rental agreement is terminated due to the landlord's noncompliance, the landlord shall return the security deposit in accordance with § 55.1-1226.
1974, c. 680, § 55-248.21; 1982, c. 260; 1987, c. 387; 2000, c. 760; 2003, c. 363; 2019, c. 712.

Structure Code of Virginia

Code of Virginia

Title 55.1 - Property and Conveyances

Chapter 12 - Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act

§ 55.1-1200. Definitions

§ 55.1-1201. Applicability of chapter; local authority

§ 55.1-1202. Notice

§ 55.1-1203. Application; deposit, fee, and additional information

§ 55.1-1204. Terms and conditions of rental agreement; payment of rent; copy of rental agreement for tenant

§ 55.1-1205. Prepaid rent; maintenance of escrow account

§ 55.1-1206. Landlord may obtain certain insurance for tenant

§ 55.1-1207. Effect of unsigned or undelivered rental agreement

§ 55.1-1208. Prohibited provisions in rental agreements

§ 55.1-1208.1. Rental agreements; child care

§ 55.1-1209. Confidentiality of tenant records

§ 55.1-1210. Landlord and tenant remedies for abuse of access

§ 55.1-1211. Appointment of resident agent by nonresident property owner; service of process, etc., on such agent or on Secretary of the Commonwealth

§ 55.1-1212. Energy submetering, energy allocation equipment, sewer and water submetering equipment, and ratio utility billing systems; local government fees

§ 55.1-1213. Transfer of deposits upon purchase

§ 55.1-1214. Inspection of dwelling unit; report

§ 55.1-1215. Disclosure of mold in dwelling units

§ 55.1-1216. Disclosure of sale of premises

§ 55.1-1217. Required disclosures for properties located adjacent to a military air installation; remedy for nondisclosure

§ 55.1-1218. Required disclosures for properties with defective drywall; remedy for nondisclosure

§ 55.1-1219. Required disclosures for property previously used to manufacture methamphetamine; remedy for nondisclosure

§ 55.1-1220. Landlord to maintain fit premises

§ 55.1-1221. Landlord to provide locks and peepholes

§ 55.1-1222. Access of tenant to cable, satellite, and other television facilities

§ 55.1-1223. Notice to tenants for insecticide or pesticide use

§ 55.1-1224. Limitation of liability

§ 55.1-1225. Tenancy at will; effect of notice of change of terms or provisions of tenancy

§ 55.1-1226. Security deposits

§ 55.1-1227. Tenant to maintain dwelling unit

§ 55.1-1228. Rules and regulations

§ 55.1-1229. Access; consent; correction of nonemergency conditions; relocation of tenant; security systems

§ 55.1-1230. Access following entry of certain court orders

§ 55.1-1231. Relocation of tenant where mold remediation needs to be performed in the dwelling unit

§ 55.1-1232. Use and occupancy by tenant

§ 55.1-1233. Tenant to surrender possession of dwelling unit

§ 55.1-1234. Noncompliance by landlord

§ 55.1-1235. Early termination of rental agreement by military personnel

§ 55.1-1236. Early termination of rental agreements by victims of family abuse, sexual abuse, or criminal sexual assault

§ 55.1-1237. Notice to tenant in event of foreclosure

§ 55.1-1238. Failure to deliver possession

§ 55.1-1239. Wrongful failure to supply an essential service

§ 55.1-1240. Fire or casualty damage

§ 55.1-1241. Landlord's noncompliance as defense to action for possession for nonpayment of rent

§ 55.1-1242. Rent escrow required for continuance of tenant's case

§ 55.1-1243. Repealed

§ 55.1-1243.1. Tenant's remedies for exclusion from dwelling unit, interruption of services, or actions taken to make premises unsafe

§ 55.1-1244. Tenant's assertion; rent escrow

§ 55.1-1244.1. Tenant's remedy by repair

§ 55.1-1245. (Effective until the later of July 1, 2028 or seven years after the COVID-19 pandemic state of emergency expires) Noncompliance with rental agreement; monetary penalty

§ 55.1-1245. (Effective the later of July 1, 2028, or 7 years after the COVID-19 pandemic state of emergency expires) Noncompliance with rental agreement; monetary penalty

§ 55.1-1246. Barring guest or invitee of a tenant

§ 55.1-1247. Sheriffs authorized to serve certain notices; fee for service

§ 55.1-1248. Remedy by repair, etc.; emergencies

§ 55.1-1249. Remedies for absence, nonuse, and abandonment

§ 55.1-1250. Landlord's acceptance of rent with reservation; tenant's right of redemption

§ 55.1-1251. Remedy after termination

§ 55.1-1252. Recovery of possession limited

§ 55.1-1253. Periodic tenancy; holdover remedies

§ 55.1-1254. Disposal of property abandoned by tenants

§ 55.1-1255. Authority of sheriffs to store and sell personal property removed from residential premises; recovery of possession by owner; disposition or sale

§ 55.1-1256. Disposal of property of deceased tenants

§ 55.1-1257. Who may recover rent or possession

§ 55.1-1258. Retaliatory conduct prohibited

§ 55.1-1259. Actions to enforce chapter

§ 55.1-1260. (Expires July 1, 2024) Establishment of Eviction Diversion Pilot Program; purpose; goals

§ 55.1-1261. (Expires July 1, 2024) Eviction Diversion Pilot Program; administration

§ 55.1-1262. (Expires July 1, 2024) Eviction Diversion Pilot Program; process; court-ordered payment plan