Rental application & screening fee law in Virginia
Fixed dollar cap
Virginia caps the rental application fee at a set dollar amount — with a lower cap for HUD-regulated units — while letting actual third-party screening costs pass through separately.
What the law says
Virginia Code § 55.1-1203 caps the application fee a landlord may charge, with a lower maximum for units regulated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The cap covers the application fee itself; the landlord's actual out-of-pocket cost for third-party background and credit checks may be passed through to the applicant separately.
The statute also governs refundable application deposits, which must be returned with an itemization when an applicant is not accepted. An amended version of the statute takes effect July 1, 2027, so watch for changes.
Recent changes
An amended version of § 55.1-1203 (2026 legislation) takes effect July 1, 2027.
Beyond the fee limit
The price rule is only part of the law. Virginia also imposes these obligations:
- Actual third-party check costs may be passed through on top of the fee.
- Application deposits must be refunded with itemization.
Read the law
What's the actual limit in Virginia?
Fee limits change with inflation adjustments, local ordinances, and new legislation. Use our free calculator to look up the current limit for your rental's ZIP code.
Calculate your fee limitsThis page is provided for general information only and is not legal advice. Fee rules change — caps re-index to inflation, new legislation takes effect, and cities adopt their own ordinances — so always confirm against the official statutory text linked above before relying on it. The federal Fair Housing Act applies everywhere, regardless of state or local fee rules.