A landlord may not recover or take possession of the dwelling unit (i) by willful diminution of services to the tenant by interrupting or causing the interruption of an essential service required by the rental agreement or (ii) by refusal to permit the tenant access to the unit unless such refusal is pursuant to a court order for possession.

Ask a landlord/tenant law question, get an answer ASAP!
Thousands of highly rated, verified landlord/tenant lawyers.
Evictions, ejectment actions, unlawful detainers and more.
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

Terms Used In Virginia Code 55.1-1252

  • Dwelling unit: means a structure or part of a structure that is used as a home or residence by one or more persons who maintain a household, including a manufactured home, as defined in § Virginia Code 55.1-1200
  • Essential service: includes heat, running water, hot water, electricity, and gas. See Virginia Code 55.1-1200
  • Landlord: means the owner, lessor, or sublessor of the dwelling unit or the building of which such dwelling unit is a part. See Virginia Code 55.1-1200
  • Tenant: means a person entitled only under the terms of a rental agreement to occupy a dwelling unit to the exclusion of others and includes a roomer. See Virginia Code 55.1-1200

1974, c. 680, § 55-248.36; 1978, c. 520; 2019, c. 712.