How to Fill Out and Deliver the Virginia Lease Renewal Form (270A)

A Virginia lease renewal form is a short written agreement that extends an existing rental for a new term, with updated rent and any changed provisions, signed by both the landlord and every adult tenant before the current lease ends. Most property managers in the state use Virginia REALTORS® Form 270, but any written document that clearly identifies the parties, the property, the original lease, and the new terms will do the job under the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.

Where to Get the Form

Virginia REALTORS® publishes a Renewal of Lease Agreement (Form 270), a two-page document that handles both outcomes in one packet. The first page is the renewal itself. The second page lets the tenant decline the new terms and provide a forwarding address for the security deposit return. If the tenant returns neither page by the date on the form, the form treats the new terms as accepted and the lease as renewed.¹

You are not required to use this template. A plain document that identifies the parties, the property, and the new terms works equally well as long as both sides sign it. Landlords handling many renewals tend to stick with the standard form for consistency.

What to Put on the Form

A few specifics have to be exact. Vague wording in a renewal is what later becomes a dispute.

Party names. The full legal name of every adult tenant on the original lease and the landlord or management company. The REALTORS® form has blanks for owner, agent, and tenant.
Property address. Complete street address with any unit or apartment number.
Original lease date. Reference the date of the original lease so the renewal is clearly tied to it.²
New term dates. The exact start and end dates. The REALTORS® form phrases this as “an additional term of ___ months starting on ___ and ending on ___.”²
Rent. State the new monthly rent. If rent is not changing, say so explicitly.
Modified terms. Spell out anything that changes from the original lease, such as pet policies, parking, utilities, or late fees. Anything not specifically modified carries forward from the original agreement.
Signatures and date. Both the landlord (or agent) and every adult tenant should sign and date.

When a Renewal Needs to Be Notarized

Virginia does not require a lease renewal to be notarized in the ordinary case. The exception is a long term: if the original lease plus the renewal together exceed five years, the renewal must satisfy Virginia’s statute of conveyances. That means it either needs notarization or must use specific language such as “deed of lease” in the body of the agreement. Standard one-year renewals do not trigger this.

When to Send the Renewal

Timing is set by Virginia Code § 55.1-1253, which fixes the minimum notice periods for ending a periodic tenancy. The same deadlines control when you need to have the renewal conversation.

Week-to-week: At least seven days’ written notice before the next rent due date.
Month-to-month: At least 30 days’ written notice before the next rent due date, unless the lease specifies a different period.³

A stricter rule applies if the landlord owns more than four rental units in Virginia and the lease contains a renewal or automatic renewal clause. That landlord must give the tenant at least 60 days’ written notice before the end of the lease term of any rent increase or decision not to renew.⁴ Missing that 60-day window means the old rent carries into the next period.

Raising the Rent at Renewal

Virginia has no statewide rent control, so there is no cap on how much a landlord can raise the rent at renewal. The only legal constraint is notice. For month-to-month tenancies, 30 days before the next rent due date is the floor. For fixed-term leases with renewal clauses held by landlords with more than four units, the 60-day notice applies.

If a tenant stays past the lease end date and the landlord agrees to continued occupancy without signing a new lease, the landlord can still raise the rent with 30 days’ written notice. The increase takes effect on the next rent due date that falls at least 30 days after delivery.³

Adjusting the Security Deposit

Virginia caps security deposits at two months’ rent.⁵ If the rent goes up at renewal, the landlord can collect an additional deposit to bring the total up to the new two-month maximum, but no higher. If rent rises from $1,500 to $1,600 and the landlord originally held $3,000 (two months at the old rate), the landlord can collect up to $200 more to reach $3,200.

Document any additional deposit on the renewal form itself as a line item showing the original amount, the added amount, and the new total. That keeps the accounting clean at move-out.

Delivering the Form

Virginia Code § 55.1-1202 governs where notices and documents are considered served. The statute identifies the location rather than a required method:

To the landlord: At the landlord’s place of business where the rental agreement was made, or any place the landlord has designated for communications.
To the tenant: At the tenant’s last known residence, which can be the rental unit itself.⁶

Electronic delivery by email or fax is valid only if the rental agreement specifically allows it. When sent that way, the sender must keep proof: an electronic receipt, a fax confirmation, or a certificate of service.⁶ A tenant who asks for paper notices can opt out of electronic delivery regardless of what the lease says.

The statute does not require certified mail, but using it (or any trackable method) is the practical move. If a dispute arises later about whether the renewal arrived on time, a delivery receipt settles it. Keep the signed renewal, the delivery proof, and any email confirmations in the tenant file.

What Happens If No One Signs

When a fixed-term lease expires and the tenant stays, the outcome turns on whether the landlord consents to the continued occupancy.

If the landlord consents, usually just by accepting the next rent payment, the tenancy becomes a month-to-month holdover under the original lease terms. Every provision from the old agreement carries forward except the fixed duration. The landlord can adjust rent with 30 days’ written notice, but everything else stays as it was.³ Virginia Code § 55.1-1204 confirms that this month-to-month arrangement is the default when no new written agreement is signed.⁷

If the landlord does not consent and the tenant stays anyway, the consequences are sharper. The landlord can file for possession and recover actual damages, reasonable attorney fees, and court costs. The original lease may also include a liquidated damage clause allowing the landlord to charge up to 150 percent of the daily rent for every day the tenant remains after the termination date.³ On a $1,500-per-month unit, that daily penalty runs around $75.

A signed renewal avoids both scenarios by setting a clear new term, giving the tenant rent stability and the landlord guaranteed occupancy for the renewal period.

Lead-Based Paint Disclosure on Renewal

Federal law requires landlords to disclose known lead-based paint hazards in housing built before 1978, but renewals get a specific exemption. Under 24 CFR § 35.82(d), a renewal does not require a new disclosure as long as the landlord previously provided all required information and has no new knowledge of lead hazards since the last disclosure.⁸ If something new has turned up since the original lease, such as findings from a renovation or inspection, a fresh disclosure is required even at renewal.

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Virginia REALTORS. Renewal of Lease Agreement
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Virginia REALTORS. Virginia REALTORS Renewal of Lease Agreement
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Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 55.1-1253 – Periodic Tenancy; Holdover Remedies
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Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. Virginia Statement of Tenant Rights and Responsibilities Under the VRLTA
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Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 55.1-1226 – Security Deposits
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Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 55.1-1202 – Notice
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Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 55.1-1204 – Terms and Conditions of Rental Agreement; Payment of Rent
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eCFR. 24 CFR Part 35 Subpart A – Disclosure of Known Lead-Based Paint and/or Lead-Based Paint Hazards