Security deposit return deadline in Virginia
A Virginia landlord has 45 days after the tenancy ends to return a security deposit or send a written list of what was kept.
- Deadline
- 45 days
- What the landlord must send
- The deposit and any deductions must be itemized in a written notice given with any amount due within 45 days.
- If the landlord gets it wrong
- Willful failure lets the court order return of the deposit plus actual damages and attorney fees.
- Deposit limit
- 2 months’ rent
With more than one tenant, the refund is one check payable to all of them unless they agree otherwise in writing.
The law
Va. Code § 55.1-1226. Read the statute.
Checked against the statute in October 2026. Laws change, so confirm the current rule before you rely on it.
What to do next
If the deadline has passed, or the landlord kept money without a proper list, put your request in writing. Ask for the deposit back by a specific date, and keep a copy. The free first letter in the Deposit Demand Letters kit does this for Virginia, and the deadline calculator works out your exact date from your move-out day.
Other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Washington
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
General information about Virginia law, not legal advice, and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Deposit Demand Letters is a self-help template kit from Kits For That.