Rent Control Not Authorized in Virginia (Dillon's Rule)

Virginia follows Dillon's Rule, under which local governments possess only those powers expressly granted by the General Assembly, those necessarily or fairly implied from granted powers, and those essential and indispensable to the locality. The Virginia General Assembly has never granted localities authority to regulate residential rents, and there is no statewide rent-stabilization law. Because the enabling power simply does not exist, a Virginia city or county that tried to adopt a rent control or rent-stabilization ordinance would be acting outside its authority. The result is not an express statutory ban so much as a complete absence of enabling legislation — under Dillon's Rule that absence is itself disqualifying. No Virginia locality operates a rent control program, and there is no cap on how much a landlord may charge or raise rent, subject only to the lease and required notice.

There is no penalty for charging or increasing rent above any threshold, because Virginia sets no rent ceiling. A locality that attempted to enact rent control would have its ordinance struck down as ultra vires (beyond its powers) under Dillon's Rule rather than enforced.