Housing & Tenant · Rent Increase Notice

Rent Increase Notice in Virginia

How many days of advance notice a landlord must give before a rent increase takes effect in Virginia, how a fixed-term lease is treated, and what to check, cited to the statute.

Confirmedagainst §55.1-1253Reviewed by Cholilurrohman · July 2026

Notice before a rent increase · Virginia

30 days, taking effect at the next rent due date

Dedicated statute

Virginia lets a landlord set a new rent by written notice under Va. Code 55.1-1253, taking effect at the next rent due date coming 30 days after the notice.

Month-to-month notice30 days

Larger or longer noticeRent fixed until renewal

Rent-amount capNot covered here

Statute§55.1-1253

The notice periods in Virginia

How much warning is required before a higher rent can take effect, and how a fixed lease is treated.

When	Notice in Virginia	What it means
Month-to-month tenancy	30 days	Written notice at least 30 days before the next rent due date, with the new rent taking effect at the next rent due date coming 30 days after the notice, under Va. Code 55.1-1253.
Fixed-term lease	None mid-term	During a fixed-term lease the rent is fixed until renewal. The 30-day rule governs a month-to-month tenancy.
Local ordinance	Varies	The state figure is the operative notice. No statewide cap on the amount applies.
If notice is skipped	Not effective	Virginia puts the rent-increase rule in the same section as ending the tenancy, and it defines the effective date rather than the notice date. The 30 days do not simply expire, because they have to be followed by a rent due date, so a notice served on the fifth of the month takes effect at the next rent day beyond that, a slightly longer real period than the headline suggests.
Statute	Va. Code Ann. §55.1-1253	The controlling statute for this notice period. Read the full text through the source link below.

Recent or pending change

Virginia moved recently on eviction notice, from 5 days to 14, so confirm this section currency too before relying on the exact wording.

Next steps if your rent is going up

Concrete, neutral steps to check a rent increase in Virginia. This is legal information, not legal advice.

Count to the next rent due date
Virginia counts the 30 days to the next rent due date that falls at least 30 days after the notice. So a notice mid-month takes effect not exactly 30 days later, but at the next rent day beyond that.
Expect a slightly longer real period
Because the increase has to land on a rent due date, the practical notice is often a little longer than 30 days. Work out the next rent day at least 30 days out to find the effective date.
Confirm your tenancy type
The 30-day rule governs a month-to-month tenancy. A fixed-term lease locks the rent until renewal.
Get local help
A local Virginia legal aid office can confirm whether an increase was properly noticed. Search for legal aid in your area.

This is general legal information, not legal advice. Read your own lease and check for a local ordinance, since either can change the notice that applies to your home.

What Virginia renters get wrong

Virginia is unusual in putting the rent increase rule in the same section as the rule for ending the tenancy, and in defining the effective date rather than the notice date. Under Va. Code 55.1-1253 a landlord may set a new rent by written notice, and the new amount takes effect at the next rent due date coming thirty days after the notice. The thirty days do not simply expire, because they have to be followed by a rent due date, so a notice served on the fifth of the month takes effect not thirty days later but at the next rent day beyond that. That is a slightly longer real period than the headline number suggests, and it means the increase always lines up with a rent due date rather than biting mid-period. There is no cap on the amount and no stated frequency limit. During a fixed term the rent is locked until renewal. For a Virginia renter the practical calculation is to find the next rent due date that falls at least thirty days after the notice, because that is when the higher rent actually starts.

Common questions

When does a Virginia increase actually start?

At the next rent due date coming 30 days after the notice. Under Va. Code 55.1-1253 the new rent does not begin exactly 30 days later, but at the first rent due date beyond that 30-day mark, so it lines up with a rent day.

Is it 30 days or longer in practice in Virginia?

Often a little longer. Because the increase has to take effect at a rent due date at least 30 days out, a mid-month notice pushes the effective date to the next rent day beyond the 30 days, giving a slightly longer real period.

Is there a cap in Virginia?

No. Virginia sets no cap on how much rent can rise. It regulates the notice and ties the effective date to a rent due date, but the size of an increase is not limited by the statute.

Does this apply to a fixed-term lease in Virginia?

No. Va. Code 55.1-1253 governs a month-to-month tenancy. During a fixed-term lease the rent is fixed until renewal, so an increase can only take effect once the term ends.

Primary source

→ Va. Code Ann. §55.1-1253

Code of Virginia (§ 55.1-1253) · law.lis.virginia.gov

Cholilurrohman
Every figure on this page is checked line-by-line against the current statute. Editorial standards →

Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.

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