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Rental Application Fee Laws in Virginia

Virginia caps a nonrefundable application fee at $50 ($32 for public or HUD-regulated housing), not counting actual third-party screening costs; a separate application deposit must be refunded, less actual expenses, within 20 days if the applicant does not rent.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Virginia at a glance

Fee limit
$50 plus actual third-party screening costs
$32 for public housing or HUD-regulated units, also excluding actual out-of-pocket screening costs.
Dollar cap
$50
$32 for public or HUD-regulated housing.
Refund required
No for the fee; deposit excess refunded
The application fee is nonrefundable. A refundable application deposit, less actual expenses and damages, must be returned within 20 days (10 days in some cash-payment rejections).
Portable screening report rule
Not addressed

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Virginia

How much can a landlord charge for a rental application in Virginia?

Fee limit in Virginia: $50 plus actual third-party screening costs. $32 for public housing or HUD-regulated units, also excluding actual out-of-pocket screening costs.

Is there a fixed dollar cap on rental application fees in Virginia?

Dollar cap in Virginia: $50. $32 for public or HUD-regulated housing.

Does a landlord in Virginia have to refund an unused application fee?

No for the fee; deposit excess refunded. Refund required in Virginia: no for the fee; deposit excess refunded. The application fee is nonrefundable. A refundable application deposit, less actual expenses and damages, must be returned within 20 days (10 days in some cash-payment rejections).

Does Virginia law address reusable (portable) tenant screening reports?

Not addressed. Portable screening report rule in Virginia: not addressed.

Where do the Virginia rental application fee laws come from?

The rules above come from Va. Code 55.1-1203. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

A 2026 amendment taking effect July 1, 2027 adds a written notice of fees, deposits and refundability, and of screening criteria, before the landlord collects any payment or applicant information. The fee caps are unchanged and move to subsection D.

What this means in practice

Before collecting a fee, landlords can tell applicants in writing how much it is, what it pays for, and the screening criteria that will be used. Several statutes require some of this disclosure, and it also reduces disputes when an application is denied.

Keep a copy of the invoice or receipt from the screening company. Where the law ties the fee to actual cost or requires an itemized receipt, that record shows the fee was lawful.

Check local law as well as state law. In many states a city or county ordinance can set a lower limit or add refund and notice rules, and the stricter rule usually applies. A few states bar local rules on application fees.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.