Virginia Rent Increase Notice 2027: Larger Landlords Must Give 90 Days' Written Notice Before the Term Ends
by Platuni | 06 Oct, 2026 | 5 mins read
Platuni
06 October, 2026
5 mins read
1. Why this effective date follows the primary legislative record, not some secondary summaries
Several secondary compliance guides list a January 1, 2027 effective date for this requirement, but the Code of Virginia's own published text for the amended Section 55.1-1204, along with the legislature's bill-tracking record, both show July 1, 2027.
[Cite: H.B. 678, 2026 Va. Acts of Assembly, c. 1066, amending Va. Code 55.1-1204]
This article follows the primary source's July 1, 2027 date rather than the January 2027 date that appears in some secondary summaries; a landlord relying on an earlier date risks building a compliance timeline around a deadline that isn't actually the one the statute itself sets.
2. Why "any increase in rent" covers the full renewal rent-setting decision
The notice requirement applies to any increase in rent during the subsequent rental agreement term, not just increases above some specific percentage or dollar threshold.
[Cite: Va. Code 55.1-1204, as amended by H.B. 678]
That broad framing means even a modest rent increase for the next lease term triggers this 90-day notice obligation; a landlord can't treat a small increase as exempt from the timeline simply because the dollar amount seems minor.
3. Why 90 days is measured from the end of the current term, not from some other reference point
The notice has to go out at least 90 days prior to the end of the current rental agreement term.
[Cite: Va. Code 55.1-1204]
That anchor point, the term's end date, gives landlords and tenants a clear, fixed deadline to calculate against; a landlord managing multiple leases with staggered end dates needs to track this 90-day deadline separately for each individual lease rather than applying one blanket date across a portfolio.
4. Why the 30-day tenant reply window has its own separate timing rule
The rent-increase notice has to include a tenant reply deadline that's no sooner than 30 days after the notice is actually delivered.
[Cite: Va. Code 55.1-1204]
That "no sooner than" language protects the tenant's actual decision-making time; a landlord who delivers the 90-day notice but sets an unreasonably short reply deadline, say, 10 days after delivery, wouldn't satisfy this requirement even though the 90-day advance timing itself was met.
5. Why this requirement is distinct from the related 60-day nonrenewal notice
The same unit-count threshold, landlords with more than 4 units, also governs a separate requirement to give at least 60 days' written notice before choosing not to renew a lease at all.
[Cite: Va. Code 55.1-1204]
A landlord needs to track these as 2 distinct notice obligations tied to the same threshold: a 90-day notice specifically when raising rent for a renewal, and a 60-day notice specifically when declining to renew at all; the 2 situations call for different notice periods even though they stem from the same underlying statute.
6. Why month-to-month tenancies fall outside this specific requirement
This 90-day renewal rent-increase notice doesn't apply to month-to-month periodic tenancies.
[Cite: Va. Code 55.1-1204]
That exclusion makes sense given how a month-to-month tenancy already operates, without a fixed term to measure 90 days against; a landlord adjusting rent for a month-to-month tenant follows whatever separate notice rules apply to periodic tenancies, not this fixed-term renewal framework.
7. Why the unit-count threshold mirrors the payment-plan requirement enacted the same session
This 90-day notice requirement uses the same more-than-4-units or more-than-10%-interest threshold that also triggers Virginia's new small-arrears payment-plan requirement.
[Cite: Va. Code 55.1-1204; Va. Code 55.1-1245, both amended in the 2026 Session]
A larger landlord already determining which properties cross that threshold for the payment-plan requirement can apply the same determination here; both obligations attach to the same category of landlord, which simplifies tracking which properties in a portfolio are actually covered.
8. Why advance planning for lease-renewal timelines becomes more important under this requirement
Since the 90-day deadline runs from each individual lease's own end date, a landlord managing a portfolio with leases ending throughout the year needs a reliable system for flagging each upcoming renewal far enough ahead to meet the deadline.
[Cite: Va. Code 55.1-1204]
A property manager who's used to sending renewal notices a few weeks before lease-end will need to move that internal process significantly earlier, likely building in a buffer beyond the bare 90-day minimum to account for delivery time and internal review.
9. Why delivery method and timing documentation both matter here
Since the tenant's 30-day reply window is measured from actual delivery of the notice, not from when the landlord drafted or mailed it, a landlord benefits from using a delivery method that creates a clear, verifiable delivery date.
[Cite: Va. Code 55.1-1204]
A landlord who can't clearly establish when a tenant actually received the rent-increase notice risks a dispute over whether the 30-day reply deadline, and by extension the underlying 90-day notice timeline, was properly calculated.
10. Why this reflects a broader pattern of extended notice periods in the same legislative session
This 90-day renewal notice, the related 60-day nonrenewal notice, and the extended 14-day pay-or-quit notice period all came out of the same general push toward longer advance-notice periods for larger Virginia landlords.
[Cite: Va. Code 55.1-1204; H.B. 15/S.B. 48, 2026 Acts, cc. 353/354]
A property manager should treat 2026 and 2027 as a period of generally lengthening notice obligations across multiple areas of Virginia landlord-tenant law, rather than evaluating this 90-day requirement as an isolated change.
11. What property managers should do now
The practical starting point is building a lease-renewal tracking system that flags each lease at least 100 to 120 days before its end date, giving enough buffer before the 90-day deadline to draft, review, and deliver the rent-increase notice.
Standardizing a notice template that automatically calculates and states a tenant reply deadline at least 30 days out from the actual delivery date removes the risk of a staff member manually miscalculating that window on an individual notice.
Frequently asked questions
When does Virginia's 90-day renewal rent-increase notice requirement take effect?
July 1, 2027, under House Bill 678, 2026 Acts of Assembly Chapter 1066, amending Virginia Code Section 55.1-1204.
Which landlords does this apply to?
Landlords owning more than 4 rental units, or more than a 10% interest in more than 4 units.
How is the 90-day period measured?
From the date the notice is delivered back to at least 90 days before the end of the current rental agreement term.
How long does a tenant have to respond to the notice?
At least 30 days from the date the notice is actually delivered.
Does this apply to month-to-month tenancies?
No. It applies specifically to fixed-term rental agreements approaching renewal, not month-to-month periodic tenancies.
Is this the same as Virginia's 60-day nonrenewal notice requirement?
No, though both apply to the same category of larger landlords. The 90-day notice applies specifically when raising rent for a renewal; the separate 60-day notice applies when declining to renew at all.
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