How Virginia Beach Handles Rental Property Rules: A Practical Guide

Virginia Beach maintains 196 local ordinances across all categories, and 9 of those deal specifically with rental property rules. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Virginia Beach falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Security Deposit Rules

Virginia Beach landlords must follow VA Code §55.1-1226, which caps security deposits at two months of rent and requires return within 45 days of move-out with an itemized statement of any deductions taken.

Key details: Authority: VA Code §55.1-1226. Deposit cap: Two months rent. Return deadline: 45 days. Wear and tear: Not chargeable.

Late or undocumented deposit returns can expose landlords to actual damages, statutory damages, attorney fees, and potential bad-faith multipliers under VRLTA.

No-Fault Evictions

Virginia HB 2541 (2024) expanded just-cause termination protections statewide, narrowing landlords' ability to refuse lease renewal without a stated reason. Virginia Beach landlords must align notices with the expanded VRLTA framework.

Key details: Statute: VA HB 2541 (2024). Notice baseline: 30 days. Stated cause: Often required. Retaliation protections: Strengthened.

Issuing a no-cause termination outside HB 2541-permitted scenarios can be challenged in General District Court, potentially voiding the notice and exposing the landlord to attorney fees.

Tenant Anti-Harassment

Virginia Beach tenants are shielded by VRLTA prohibitions on self-help eviction, utility shut-offs, and lockouts. Landlords must use General District Court for any removal, and harassment can void notices.

Key details: Statute: VA Code §55.1-1243. Lawful removal: Sheriff with writ only. Lockouts: Prohibited. Utility shutoffs: Prohibited.

Self-help lockouts, utility cut-offs, or removal of property outside a court order trigger civil liability, injunctions, and statutory damages under VRLTA §55.1-1243.

Relocation Assistance

Virginia Beach does not require relocation assistance for displaced tenants outside narrow VRLTA scenarios involving uninhabitable conditions or condemnation. Dillon's Rule prevents the city from adopting broader local payments.

Key details: Local mandate: None. Federal trigger: URA / HUD funding. State trigger: Condemnation or VRLTA. Dillon's Rule: Limits city action.

Failure to provide federally required Uniform Relocation Act payments during HUD-funded projects can trigger federal compliance action and force-restored benefits to tenants.

The rules around relocation assistance in Virginia Beach lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Just Cause Eviction

Virginia Beach has no just-cause eviction ordinance. Virginia landlord-tenant law (VA Code §55.1-1200 et seq.) allows termination of month-to-month tenancies with 30 days' notice without cause. Virginia does not require landlords to state a reason for non-renewal.

Key details: Just-Cause Protection: None. Month-to-Month: 30 days' notice, no cause needed. Nonpayment: 5-day pay-or-quit notice. Lease Violations: 30-day notice, 21 days to cure. Retaliatory Eviction: State protection exists.

Not applicable. No just-cause protections exist. Landlords must follow proper procedures but need not state reasons for non-renewal of month-to-month tenancies.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Virginia Beach gives residents more flexibility on just cause eviction.

Source-of-Income Discrimination

Since 2020, the Virginia Fair Housing Law bars landlords from refusing applicants based on lawful source of income, including Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers. Virginia Beach landlords must accept vouchers as valid income.

Key details: Authority: VA Code §36-96.3. Effective: 2020. Voucher discrimination: Prohibited. Enforcement: VA Fair Housing Office.

Refusing voucher holders, posting source-restricted ads, or applying disparate screening can trigger Fair Housing Office investigations, civil penalties, and tenant damages.

Section 8 Voucher Acceptance

The Virginia Beach Department of Housing and Neighborhood Preservation administers Housing Choice Vouchers locally. Landlords accepting vouchers must pass Housing Quality Standards inspections and sign a HAP contract.

Key details: Administering agency: Virginia Beach DHNP. Tenant share: About 30% of income. Inspection standard: HQS. Refusal: Prohibited.

Failing HQS inspections beyond cure periods can suspend HAP payments. Refusing voucher applicants outright violates VA Code §36-96.3 and triggers Fair Housing penalties.

The rules around section 8 voucher acceptance in Virginia Beach lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Rental Registration

Virginia Beach requires rental property registration through its Rental Inspection Program in designated conservation areas. Not all rental properties citywide require registration, but properties in targeted neighborhoods must register and pass inspections.

Key details: Registration: Required in designated conservation areas. State Authority: VA Code §36-105.1:1. Inspections: Virginia Maintenance Code compliance. Citywide: Not all areas require registration. Focus Areas: Neighborhoods with concentrated rentals.

Failure to register in a rental inspection district may result in fines. Properties with uncorrected code violations may face penalties and prohibition of occupancy. Landlords cannot pursue evictions for non-compliant properties.

Rent Control

Virginia Beach has no rent control ordinance. Virginia state law (VA Code §55.1-1204) preempts local rent control. Landlords may set and increase rents without government caps, subject only to notice requirements.

Key details: Rent Control: Preempted by VA Code §55.1-1204. Rent Caps: None. Notice Required: 30 days for month-to-month. State Preemption: No locality may control rent.

Not applicable. Rent control is preempted by state law. Landlords must provide proper notice but face no caps on increases.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Virginia Beach gives residents more flexibility on rent control.

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, Virginia Beach gives residents more room on rental property rules. 4 of the 9 rules here are rated permissive. But permissive does not mean unregulated. There are still requirements, and the city does enforce them when violations are reported.

These rules come from Virginia Beach's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.