Virginia Notice to Tenants of Intent to Sell
In Virginia, the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (VRLTA) at Va. Code Ann. 55.1-1216 requires a landlord who sells the rented premises to notify the tenant of the sale and disclose the purchaser's name, address, and a telephone number where the purchaser can be located. This AI powered guide explains how that disclosure duty works, how existing leases carry to the buyer, and how to prepare a clear notice, with attorney-review available for added confidence.
Introduction
When you decide to sell a rental property in Virginia, clear communication with your tenant isn't just good practice, it's the law. The Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (VRLTA), under section 55.1-1216, sets out specific rules for notifying tenants about the sale and the new owner. This guide breaks down those legal duties into plain English, explaining how the sale impacts the current lease and what information you are required to share, helping you manage the process correctly and confidently.
Key Things to Know
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Under Virginia law (§ 55.1-1216), you must inform your tenant about the sale and provide the new owner's name, address, and phone number.
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The sale of a property does not break a lease. The new owner inherits the tenant and must honor the existing lease terms until it legally ends.
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Before showing the property to potential buyers, you are required to give your tenant reasonable advance notice of entry.
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Your tenant's security deposit must be transferred from you to the new owner, who then assumes all legal responsibility for it.
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There isn't an official government form for this notice in Virginia; a clear, written letter containing all legally required information is sufficient.
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To end a month-to-month tenancy in connection with a sale, you generally must provide a separate 30-day written notice of termination.
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Tenants should continue to pay rent to their current landlord until they receive clear, written instructions about the change in ownership.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Notice to Tenants of Intent to Sell in Virginia, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Notice to Tenants of Intent to Sell guide walks through them.
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Virginia Requirements for Notice to Tenants of Intent to Sell
Under Va. Code Ann. § 55.1-1216, a landlord who sells a rental property shall provide written notice to the tenant informing them of the sale.
The notice must disclose the purchaser's full name and address, along with a telephone number at which the purchaser can be located, to satisfy VRLTA requirements.
A property sale does not automatically terminate a lease. The new owner takes the property subject to the existing lease terms, tenant rights, and obligations.
The current landlord is responsible for transferring the tenant's security deposit to the new owner, who then assumes all liability for it under the VRLTA.
Landlords must give tenants reasonable advance notice before entering the property to show it to prospective buyers and may only enter at reasonable times.
To terminate a month-to-month tenancy in relation to a sale, a separate 30-day written notice is required; the sale notice itself is not a termination notice.
Virginia does not provide an official government form for this purpose. A clear, written notice that contains all legally required disclosures is sufficient.
It is critical for the landlord to retain proof of delivery for the notice, such as a signed acknowledgment from the tenant, a certified mail receipt, or a witness affidavit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Va. Code Ann. § 55.1-1216 makes written notice to my tenant mandatory once I sell. I have to name the new owner, give their address, and include a phone number where they can be reached. That way my tenant knows exactly who the new landlord is and how to contact them.
There's no fixed notice period in Virginia just for announcing my intent to sell, but I owe my tenant reasonable notice before entering for any showing. Separately, if I want to end a month-to-month tenancy because of the sale, that takes its own written 30-day notice to vacate.
Three items are non-negotiable under Va. Code Ann. § 55.1-1216: the purchaser's full name, their mailing address, and a telephone number where they can be located. Leave any one of these out and the notice fails to meet VRLTA requirements, so I make sure all three appear.
I can absolutely bring prospective buyers through an occupied unit. What I owe my tenant is reasonable advance notice before I or my agent steps inside, plus showings kept to reasonable hours. Respecting their quiet enjoyment keeps the process smooth and avoids friction during the sale.
Not at all. When I sell, the buyer takes the property subject to the lease and steps into my shoes as landlord. Every term of the original agreement stays binding on the new owner until the lease runs out or is ended properly under its own terms.
Virginia publishes no government form for this. I'm free to write my own notice, provided it plainly states that I intend to sell and carries every disclosure the law requires about the incoming owner. A clear, complete written document does the job.
A sale notice won't end the tenancy. If the buyer needs the unit empty at closing, I serve a separate 30-day written notice to vacate on a month-to-month tenant. The two documents do different work, so I can't rely on the sale notice to accomplish the termination.
I make sure the notice spells out that I plan to sell the property, lays out exactly how showings will be scheduled around my tenant, and reassures them that a current fixed-term lease keeps running even after ownership changes hands. That clarity heads off a lot of worry before it starts.
For delivery I stick with a method that proves my tenant actually received it. Handing it over in person works, so does certified mail with a return receipt, and I will use whatever delivery route the written lease already authorizes.
Once the sale finalizes, the security deposit moves from me to the buyer, and from that point the new owner holds it and handles returning it when the tenancy ends. I never keep it after closing, since the obligation follows the property.