If you rent a home in Virginia, the rules for what happens when you fall behind just changed in your favor. Under new laws that took effect July 1, 2026, a landlord who wants to start the pay or quit process now has to give a tenant 14 days instead of 5. And if you pay with a check or a money order, your landlord is now required to take it.
The changes were laid out in a June 11, 2026 summary from the law firm Williams Mullen, which described the new laws affecting residential landlords in the state. This story is about Virginia, and rental rules differ from state to state, so if you live somewhere else, treat it as a reason to go look up your own state’s rules.
For anyone who has ever stared at a bank balance a few days before the first of the month, the shift from 5 days to 14 is a big one.
What a pay or quit notice is
A pay or quit notice is a formal warning from a landlord. The message is simple: pay what you owe, or leave. It is often the first official step when rent has not been paid. Before July 1, 2026, a Virginia tenant had 5 days under this notice. Now the summary says the window is 14 days. That is nine extra days to gather the money, ask family for help or reach out to a local assistance program before the notice runs out.
Landlords must accept checks and money orders
The second big change is about how you are allowed to pay. According to the Williams Mullen summary, starting July 1, 2026 landlords must accept a check or a money order for rent and for deposits. They must also provide written receipts. Here is the full list of payment rules the summary describes:
- Landlords must accept checks and money orders for rent and deposits, with written receipts.
- Landlords must keep at least one payment option that carries no fee.
- Processing fees are capped at the landlord’s actual third party cost.
That last point matters to anyone who has opened a rent portal and discovered a fee for the privilege of paying. Under the new rules, a fee cannot be a profit center. It is limited to what a third party actually charges the landlord, and there has to be a free way to pay.
Written receipts are the quiet hero of this change. Anyone who has ever argued over whether a payment arrived on time knows how valuable a piece of paper can be. A receipt for every check and money order gives a tenant proof of what was paid and when.
Another change is coming in 2027
Not everything starts right away. The summary says that from July 1, 2027, landlords must give 90 days of written notice for rent increases. That provision comes from HB 678. The summary also describes a tenant response that can come no sooner than 30 days after the notice is delivered. A longer runway before a raise gives renters time to plan, negotiate or start looking for another place without a rushed scramble.
A note about small landlords
The summary also mentions a limited exemption for landlords who own four or fewer units. It does not spell out which of the new provisions the exemption covers, so renters in a small building should not assume either way. If you rent from someone who owns just a handful of units, ask a legal aid office or a tenant resource in your area how the rules apply to your situation.
What renters can do
- Read your lease and your notices carefully. A notice has dates on it. Write them on a calendar the moment you get one.
- Keep every receipt. Now that written receipts are required for checks and money orders, hold on to them. Take a photo of each one for backup.
- Look at how you pay. If you are being charged a fee for a payment method, ask whether a no fee option is available and whether the fee matches the actual third party cost.
- Do not ignore a notice. Even with 14 days, the clock is running. Reaching out early, in writing, gives you a record and a chance to work something out.
- Mark July 1, 2027 on the calendar. If you are a Virginia renter, that is the date the 90 day rent increase notice requirement is set to begin, according to the summary.
Rules vary, so check yours
Virginia is only one state, and its changes are not a national rule. In other states the notice period may be shorter or longer, and the rules about payment methods and fees may be completely different. If you rent, take ten minutes to look up what your own state requires. State court websites and local legal aid groups are good places to start.
The bigger point holds anywhere. A rental agreement is a two way street, and the law is the thing that sets the minimum for both sides. Knowing what your landlord has to do is just as useful as knowing what you have to do. For Virginia renters, there are now more days to cure a problem, more ways to pay and more paperwork to prove it.
More Stories You May Like
- Inspector Checks a Brand New Home Before the Drywall Goes Up and Finds the Bathtub Filled With Dirty Water, Sawdust and Construction Trash
- Couple Renovating a Fixer Upper Knew Something Was Off About One Wall, and When They Finally Opened It They Found a Massive Termite Nest Instead of Insulation
- Handyman Shuts Down His Business After Five Years and Hundreds of Jobs and Shares What He Learned
Leave a Reply