Free Virginia Room Rental Agreement Template
Virginia requires an itemization of every up-front charge on the first page, above a sentence the statute writes for you. Build it in correctly.
- Download as PDF and Word
- E-sign included
What Is a Room Rental Agreement in Virginia?
A Virginia room rental agreement is the written contract for renting one bedroom in a shared home. It sits under the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, in chapter 12 of title 55.1 of the Code of Virginia.
Virginia is unusual in telling you what has to appear on the first page of the document itself, and in supplying the wording.
What the Agreement Must Say on Page One
The requirement sits in the fee disclosure statement provision. A landlord shall provide, beginning on the first page of the written rental agreement, an itemization of all charges to the tenant that make up three things: the security deposit, the amount of rent due per payment period, and any additional one-time charges due before the agreement starts or included in the first rental payment.
Immediately above that itemized list, the agreement must state that no additional security deposits or rent shall be charged unless they are listed below or incorporated into the agreement by way of a separate addendum after execution.
That is prescribed wording in a prescribed position, and it changes how a room agreement should be built. Every sum collected before the tenant moves in has to be named on page one, which rules out the common practice of settling the deposit in the contract and mentioning a key charge or a cleaning fee somewhere later.
Virginia Requirements for a Room Rental Agreement
The deposit rules themselves are set out separately and are strict about both size and timing.
Two Months, However It Is Labeled
No landlord may demand or receive a security deposit, however denominated, in an amount or value in excess of two months’ periodic rent.
What It May Be Applied To
On termination of the tenancy or the date the tenant vacates, whichever occurs last, the deposit may be applied solely to four things: accrued rent including the reasonable late charges specified in the agreement; the damages the landlord has suffered from the tenant’s noncompliance with the statutory tenant obligations, less reasonable wear and tear; other damages or charges as provided in the rental agreement; and actual damages for breach of the agreement.
Forty-Five Days
The deposit and any deductions, damages and charges must be itemized by the landlord in a written notice given to the tenant, together with any amount due, within 45 days after the termination date of the tenancy or the date the tenant vacates, whichever occurs last.
Tip: That third permitted deduction, other damages or charges as provided in the rental agreement, is why the wording of a Virginia room agreement carries real weight. A charge the document never mentions is much harder to take out of the deposit. Figures are statutory and can change, so confirm the current text.
What to Include in a Room Rental Agreement
For a Virginia room rental agreement, page one has to carry:
- An itemization of the security deposit
- The rent due per payment period
- Any one-time charges due before the start or in the first payment
- The prescribed sentence immediately above that list
Beyond page one, the terms worth adding to a Virginia room rental agreement are which room is exclusive and which areas are shared, how utilities are divided, and any charge the landlord may want to deduct later, since the statute allows deductions for charges the agreement provides for.
