Few parts of the landlord–tenant relationship generate more friction than the front door. An owner sees a property they are legally responsible for maintaining. A resident sees their home. Virginia law draws a fairly precise line between the two, and the line is not where most people assume it is.

If you own rental property in Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, or Hanover, understanding right of entry is not optional housekeeping. Getting it wrong exposes you to damages and attorney fees, and — far more commonly — it quietly poisons an otherwise good tenancy. Residents who feel their privacy is not respected do not renew.

Quick Answer

In Virginia, a landlord may enter a rental unit without notice only in a genuine emergency. For everything else, the landlord must give notice of intent to enter and may enter only at reasonable times. For routine maintenance the tenant did not request, Virginia Code § 55.1-1229 requires at least 72 hours’ notice, and the work must be performed within 14 days of that notice. If the tenant requested the repair, no advance notice is required.

What the Statute Actually Says

The controlling provision is § 55.1-1229 of the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (VRLTA). It is worth reading in full, because it is more specific than the summaries that circulate in landlord forums.

The statute establishes four things at once:

1. The tenant may not unreasonably withhold consent to entry for inspections, repairs, agreed-upon improvements, delivery of services, or showings to prospective buyers, lenders, tenants, or contractors.
2. The landlord may enter without consent in an emergency.
3. Outside an emergency, the landlord must give notice of intent to enter and may enter only at reasonable times — “except in case of emergency or if it is impractical to do so.”
4. For routine maintenance not requested by the tenant, the landlord must give at least 72 hours’ notice, the work must happen within 14 days of the notice, and the notice must state the last date the maintenance may possibly be performed.

That fourth point is the one Richmond owners most often get wrong. Many assume Virginia is a 24-hour-notice state. It is not. The routine-maintenance standard is 72 hours, and the notice carries an additional content requirement: it has to name the outside date.

The 14-Day Window and Why It Exists

The 14-day performance window is a fairness mechanism. Without it, a landlord could serve a single notice and then treat it as an open-ended license to enter for weeks. The statute closes that loophole: notice covers a defined 14-day period, and the notice itself must tell the resident when that period ends.

Practically, this means your notice should not say “we will be entering to service the HVAC.” It should say something closer to: “A technician will service the HVAC between Thursday, September 3 and Friday, September 11. The last possible date for this work is September 11.”

Emergency vs. Non-Emergency: Where Owners Misjudge

“Emergency” is not a flexible word here. It describes conditions that threaten health, safety, or the structure — and that cannot wait.

A useful internal test: if you would not have sent someone out at 11:00 PM on a Sunday, it probably was not an emergency.

Tenant-Requested Repairs Are Different

This is the most owner-friendly clause in the section, and it is widely underused: “If the tenant makes a request for maintenance, the landlord is not required to provide notice to the tenant.”

When a resident submits a maintenance request, they have invited entry for that purpose. You still want to coordinate a time — it is basic courtesy and it prevents wasted trips — but you are not bound by the 72-hour clock. This is one of several reasons to route every request through a documented system rather than text messages. A logged request is your evidence that entry was invited.

Showings, Inspections, and the “Reasonable” Standard

Virginia does not define “reasonable times” numerically, which means courts look at ordinary expectations. In practice:

• Reasonable: weekdays and weekend daytime hours, roughly 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, with coordinated scheduling.
• Questionable: early mornings, late evenings, and repeated same-day requests.
• Unreasonable: entry with no notice, entry after the tenant has objected on legitimate grounds, or a pattern of visits with no maintenance purpose.

The statute also adds an explicit guardrail: “The landlord shall not abuse the right of access or use it to harass the tenant.” Frequency is the tell. Three inspections in a month with no repair activity looks like harassment even if each individual notice was technically correct.

When a Tenant Declines a Showing

If your lease provides for it and a tenant declines to allow a showing “without reasonable justification,” § 55.1-1229 permits the landlord to recover damages, costs, and reasonable attorney fees. Note the two conditions: the lease has to provide for it, and the refusal has to lack reasonable justification. Check that your lease actually contains this clause — many older Richmond-area leases do not.

What Happens If a Tenant Simply Refuses Access

You do not get to force the door. Subsection C is blunt: the landlord “has no other right to access except by court order” or the narrow statutory exceptions, or where the tenant has abandoned or surrendered the premises.

If a resident is genuinely blocking necessary access, the path is documentation followed by legal process — a written notice, a record of the refusals, and then advice from a Virginia attorney about a court order or a notice of non-compliance. Self-help entry is how owners turn a maintenance problem into a lawsuit.

Three Related Provisions Worth Knowing

Carbon monoxide alarms. Under subsection E, if a tenant requests a carbon monoxide alarm in writing, the landlord must install one within 90 days. The landlord may charge a reasonable fee to recover equipment and labor costs, and the installation must comply with the Uniform Statewide Building Code. For Richmond’s large stock of older homes with gas appliances, this request is common — build it into your process rather than treating it as an exception.

Tenant-installed security devices. Subsection D permits tenants to install security systems, including landlord-approved chain latches and fire detection devices, provided installation causes no permanent damage, duplicate keys and operating instructions go to the landlord, and the tenant covers removal and repair costs at move-out. If a resident asks about a smart lock or a doorbell camera, this is the framework — and the “duplicate keys to the landlord” condition is the one that protects your access.

Temporary relocation. Subsection B allows a landlord, on 30 days’ written notice, to require a tenant to temporarily vacate for up to 30 days so a non-emergency condition can be properly remedied — at the landlord’s expense for comparable housing or a hotel, with rent still owed. This matters for substantial repairs like a full HVAC replacement or subfloor work in an older Church Hill or Northside property.

A Practical Access Policy for Richmond-Area Owners

Compliance is easier when it is systematized. Here is the sequence we use:

1. Default to written notice in every non-emergency case, even when notice is arguably unnecessary. Email and portal messages create timestamps.
2. Give more than 72 hours when you can. Five to seven days’ notice produces far better cooperation and fewer missed appointments.
3. Always name the outside date. The statute requires it, and it prevents disputes about scope.
4. Batch your visits. One well-planned annual visit that covers filters, smoke and CO alarms, water heater, and a general condition walk is less intrusive than five separate trips — and it produces a better record.
5. Log every entry. Date, time, who entered, purpose, and outcome. If access ever becomes contested, this log is your case.
6. Never enter for a “quick look.” Curiosity is not a statutory purpose.

Local Notes for Central Virginia

Access rules are set at the state level, so the 72-hour standard applies identically in the City of Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, Hanover, Goochland, Powhatan, and New Kent. What varies locally is the reason you may need entry:

• City of Richmond — older housing stock in The Fan, Church Hill, Northside, and Manchester means more frequent systems work and, in pre-1978 homes, lead-safe work practices that require coordinated scheduling.
• Henrico County — larger postwar and suburban inventory in Lakeside, Glen Allen, and Short Pump tends toward HVAC and appliance cycles.
• Chesterfield County — Midlothian, Bon Air, and Chester properties frequently sit on crawl spaces, which means moisture and sump inspections.
• Hanover, Goochland, Powhatan, and New Kent — well and septic systems are common, and servicing them usually requires interior and exterior access on the same visit. Plan a single coordinated notice.

For a broader grounding in the statute, the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development publishes landlord and tenant guidance, and the full VRLTA is available through Virginia’s Legislative Information System.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much notice does a landlord have to give in Virginia?

For routine maintenance the tenant did not request, at least 72 hours. For other non-emergency entry, the statute requires notice of intent to enter at reasonable times without setting a specific number of hours — so 72 hours is the safe default for everything non-urgent.

Can a landlord enter without permission in Virginia?

Only in an emergency, or where the tenant has abandoned or surrendered the property, or under a court order. Otherwise, the landlord needs notice and must enter at reasonable times.

Does a landlord need notice to fix something the tenant reported?

No. Virginia Code § 55.1-1229 expressly states that if the tenant requests maintenance, the landlord is not required to give notice. Coordinating a time is still good practice.

Can a tenant refuse to let a landlord show the property to new renters?

A tenant may not unreasonably withhold consent. If the lease provides for it and the refusal lacks reasonable justification, the landlord may recover damages, costs, and reasonable attorney fees.

Is 24 hours’ notice enough in Virginia?

Not for routine maintenance that the tenant did not request — that requires 72 hours. Owners who assume a 24-hour standard are applying another state’s rule.

What if the tenant is never home during business hours?

Notice does not require the tenant’s presence. Provided you gave proper notice and enter at a reasonable time, you may proceed. Document the visit carefully.

Can a landlord install a camera inside a rental?

No. Interior surveillance of an occupied unit is not a statutory purpose for access and creates serious privacy exposure. Exterior cameras disclosed in the lease are a different question — ask your attorney.

How often can a landlord inspect a property in Virginia?

There is no numeric cap, but the statute prohibits abusing access or using it to harass. One or two purposeful inspections a year, properly noticed, is defensible. Frequent visits without a maintenance reason are not.

Work With a Team That Handles Access Correctly

Right of entry is the kind of detail that looks minor until it produces a dispute. Mission Realty Property Management handles noticing, scheduling, documentation, and vendor coordination for owners across Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, and Hanover — so inspections and repairs get done on time, on the record, and without straining the resident relationship.

• Learn about our property management services
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• Or contact our team to talk through your property

This article is general information for Richmond-area rental owners and is not legal advice. Consult a Virginia attorney about your specific situation.