A Virginia sublease agreement is a legal document that an original tenant (or “sublessor”) can use to rent out a property they’re currently renting to a new tenant (or “sublessee”). This rental can include the entire property or simply part of the property, such as a room in a house.
An original rental agreement may contain provisions about whether the landlord is allowed to approve or disapprove a subleasing arrangement. In Virginia, a landlord has 10 business days to approve or deny the request.
If they don’t respond within 10 days, the tenant can assume the landlord approves the subleasing arrangement.
Laws & Requirements
Sublease and Assignment Provision Laws: VA Code § 55.1-1204
Landlord-Tenant Laws: Chapter 12 of the Code of Virginia (Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act)
Security Deposit Obligations: A sublessor must return a subtenant’s security deposit within 45 days of the sublease’s termination.
Notices: If a subtenant hasn’t paid their rent, a sublessor must provide five days’ written notice to pay rent or vacate the property. If a sublessor plans not to renew the sublease or the original lease, they must give 30 days’ written notice of this plan.
Sample
You can download a Virginia sublease agreement template as a PDF or Word file below:
