Plain English Breakdown
The effective date for this law is July 1, 2027, as per the official bill text excerpt.
Virginia Law Limits Landlord Attorney Fees
This law sets a limit on how much money landlords can charge tenants for attorney fees if tenants pay all their rent and other costs before the first court date.
What This Bill Does
- Limits the amount of attorney fees a landlord can ask from a tenant to $100 if the tenant pays everything they owe before the initial court date on an action for unlawful detainer.
- Includes rent, late fees allowed by law and the rental agreement, damages, and court costs in what tenants must pay to avoid high attorney fees.
Who It Names or Affects
- Landlords who sue tenants for not paying rent or other charges
- Tenants who owe money to landlords and want to avoid high legal costs
Terms To Know
- unlawful detainer
- A court case where a landlord tries to evict a tenant for not paying rent or breaking the lease agreement.
- right of redemption
- The opportunity given to tenants to pay all their debts and avoid eviction before the final court decision.
Limits and Unknowns
- This law only applies when tenants make full payment before the first court date.
- It does not change other parts of landlord-tenant laws or affect cases where tenants do not pay everything they owe in time.