Locked Out By The Landlord
Va. Code 55.1-1243.1 — a hearing within five days, and $5,000 or four months' rent
A Virginia general district court enters an order on a tenant's petition showing the landlord willfully, without court authority, unlawfully removed or excluded the tenant, interrupted an essential service, or made the premises unsafe. The order can put the tenant back in, restore the service, or require the landlord to undo what made the premises unsafe.
Within five calendar days. The first hearing is held within five calendar days of filing, and the court may issue a preliminary order ex parte for good cause. A full hearing follows within 10 days, where the court may end the lease at the tenant's request and order the whole deposit returned.
$5,000 or four months' rent. At the full hearing the tenant recovers actual damages, statutory damages of $5,000 or four months' rent, whichever is greater, and reasonable attorney fees.
Sources for this section (1)
- Va. Code 55.1-1243.1 — Tenant's remedies for exclusion, interruption of services, or making premises unsafe
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Virginia attorney.