Staying Ahead of Virginia's Changing Landlord-Tenant Laws

Elizabeth Handwerk • August 7, 2026

Last week, Homeward hosted a Virginia Landlord-Tenant Law Training led by emeritus pro bono attorney Martin Wegbreit, who has worked with the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society for over 40 years. This event brought together case managers, housing navigators, and other frontline professionals from across the Greater Richmond region.

With several recent changes to Virginia residential landlord-tenant laws, and additional updates taking effect in the coming months, the training provided timely guidance to help housing professionals better advocate for and support the people they serve. Many of the legislative changes are designed to create a fairer process for tenants while also providing greater clarity for landlords.


Topics covered during the training included:

· Changes to the timeframe for notices of nonpayment of rent

· New requirements for how landlords can collect rent and accepted forms of payment

· Updates to eligibility for Virginia's Eviction Diversion Program (EDP)

· Expanded protections against the unlawful interruption of essential services, including air conditioning in certain circumstances

· Other important changes to Virginia's landlord-tenant laws


By staying current on these legal updates, case managers and housing navigators are better equipped to help clients understand their rights, prevent avoidable evictions, and maintain stable housing.


A special thank you to CARITAS for generously hosting the training and providing a welcoming space for this important learning opportunity!


For those interested in learning more, the Virginia Legislative Information System maintains the most up-to-date version of the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, including recent amendments. Additional information about recent legislative changes is also available through the Virginia Code updates.

Your Voice Matters: Voter Registration Day

September 15, 2026
Today is National Voter Registration Day, a national, nonpartisan effort to make sure eligible voters have the information and resources they need to participate in our democracy. 

More Than an Internship: What We Learned About Accessibility and Inclusion

August 18, 2026
This summer, Homeward had the privilege of welcoming an intern in partnership with t he Virginia Department of the Blind and Vision Impaired (VRCBVI). Over the course of two weeks they made a meaningful impact on our team while reminding us that accessibility and inclusion are ongoing commitments that help all of us work better.

Staff Spotlight: Keandra Davis

August 12, 2026
"Solving homelessness takes all of us working together. We need collaboration across nonprofit organizations, elected officials, housing developers, healthcare providers, employers, case managers, and people with lived experience."

Building the CASE to Solve Homelessness: Reflections from Our First In-Person CASE Session

By Jen Johnson • June 10, 2026
Earlier this week, Homeward held the first-ever in-person Collaborative Agency Support Exchange (CASE) session, bringing together homeless service providers, healthcare partners, outreach teams, local governments, and community organizations from across the region.

Intern Spotlight: Rayne Nappier

June 2, 2026
Rayne is a MSW student at VCU's School of Social Work and this year's Coalition Support Intern at Homeward. We asked for her perspective on the connections between social work and homeless services now that she's been with us for a few months.

Moving from Good Intentions to Real Impact: 5 Ways Our Community Can Address Homelessness

By Kelly King Horne • May 28, 2026
Iain De Jong of Org Code Consulting shared a video today “Want to help with homelessness? Do this. Not that.” This is one of the best summaries of how all of us can be a part of addressing the homelessness crisis in our community. The video is only 7 minutes, and Iain is always worth listening to but here is my summary of what touched me.

Homeward to Host Best Practices Conference for Homeless Service Agencies and Partners

April 28, 2026
Homeward – the planning agency for the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care (GRCoC), a network of homeless service providers that deliver coordinated and compassionate solutions to homelessness in the Richmond region – will host the 2026 Best Practices Conference on Friday, May 1, 2026 at the DoubleTree Richmond-Midlothian hotel in Chesterfield County.

Staff Spotlight: Pam Kirby

By Elizabeth Handwerk • April 7, 2026
"Homeward is there to bring all the different pieces of homeless services together. "

Homeward Releases Data about Homelessness in the Richmond Region Based on the January 2026 Point in Time Count

March 19, 2026
Data from the January 2026 Point in Time (PIT) count show that homelessness in the Richmond region remained relatively steady. The January 2026 PIT count recorded 618 people experiencing homelessness, which is slightly lower than the January 2025 count that recorded 660 people experiencing homelessness.

Staff Spotlight: Kavita Tiwari

By Elizabeth Handwerk • March 17, 2026
“It is rewarding and meaningful to know that accurate data directly impacts planning and service delivery for people experiencing homelessness.”