{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/55.1-1417.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/55.1-1417.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/55.1-1417.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/55.1-1417.html"}],"law_id":69251,"edition_id":1,"section_id":69251,"structure_id":16021,"section_number":"55.1-1417","catch_line":"Who may recover rent or possession","history":"1983, c. 8, \u00a7 55-246.1; 1989, c. 612; 1998, c. 452; 2003, cc. 665, 667; 2004, cc. 338, 365; 2010, c. 550; 2013, c. 563; 2015, c. 190; 2018, c. 221; 2019, cc. 180, 477, 700, 712.","full_text":"Notwithstanding any rule of court to the contrary, (i) any person licensed under the provisions of \u00a7 54.1-2106.1, (ii) any property manager or the managing agent of a landlord as defined in \u00a7 55.1-1200 pursuant to the written property management agreement, or directors, or by a manager, a general partner, or a trustee, of a partnership, association, corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, professional corporation, professional limited liability company, registered limited liability partnership, registered limited liability limited partnership, business trust, or family trust to sign pleadings as the agent of the business entity, may obtain a judgment (a) for possession in the general district court for the county or city in which the premises, or part thereof, is situated or (b) for rent or damages, including actual damages for breach of the rental agreement, or for final rent and damages under \u00a7 8.01-128, in any general district court where venue is proper under Chapter 5 (\u00a7 8.01-257 et seq.) of Title 8.01, against any defendant if the person seeking such judgment had a contractual agreement with the landlord to manage the premises for which rent or possession is due and may prepare, execute, file, and have served on other parties in any general district court a warrant in debt, suggestion for summons in garnishment, garnishment summons, order of possession, writ of eviction, or writ of fieri facias arising out of a landlord-tenant relationship. However, the activities of any such person in court shall be limited by the provisions of \u00a7 16.1-88.03. However, nothing shall be construed as preventing a nonlawyer from requesting relief from the court as provided by law or statute when such nonlawyer is before the court on one of the actions specified herein.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":250550,"text":"Notwithstanding any rule of court to the contrary, (i) any person licensed under the provisions of \u00a7 54.1-2106.1, (ii) any property manager or the managing agent of a landlord as defined in \u00a7 55.1-1200 pursuant to the written property management agreement, or directors, or by a manager, a general partner, or a trustee, of a partnership, association, corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, professional corporation, professional limited liability company, registered limited liability partnership, registered limited liability limited partnership, business trust, or family trust to sign pleadings as the agent of the business entity, may obtain a judgment (a) for possession in the general district court for the county or city in which the premises, or part thereof, is situated or (b) for rent or damages, including actual damages for breach of the rental agreement, or for final rent and damages under \u00a7 8.01-128, in any general district court where venue is proper under Chapter 5 (\u00a7 8.01-257 et seq.) of Title 8.01, against any defendant if the person seeking such judgment had a contractual agreement with the landlord to manage the premises for which rent or possession is due and may prepare, execute, file, and have served on other parties in any general district court a warrant in debt, suggestion for summons in garnishment, garnishment summons, order of possession, writ of eviction, or writ of fieri facias arising out of a landlord-tenant relationship. However, the activities of any such person in court shall be limited by the provisions of \u00a7 16.1-88.03. However, nothing shall be construed as preventing a nonlawyer from requesting relief from the court as provided by law or statute when such nonlawyer is before the court on one of the actions specified herein.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":16021,"edition_id":1,"name":"Landlord Remedies","identifier":"4","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14155,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:04:06","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:04:06","permalink":{"id":246319,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":16021,"identifier":"4","token":"55.1\/III\/14\/4","url":"\/55.1\/III\/14\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14155,"edition_id":1,"name":"Nonresidential Tenancies","identifier":"14","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13073,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:47:04","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:47:04","permalink":{"id":246271,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14155,"identifier":"14","token":"55.1\/III\/14","url":"\/55.1\/III\/14\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13073,"edition_id":1,"name":"Rental Conveyances","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12707,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:14","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:14","permalink":{"id":245883,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13073,"identifier":"III","token":"55.1\/III","url":"\/55.1\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12707,"edition_id":1,"name":"Property and Conveyances","identifier":"55.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":244769,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12707,"identifier":"55.1","token":"55.1","url":"\/55.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":66846,"structure_id":16021,"section_number":"55.1-1413","catch_line":"Effect of failure of tenant in nonresidential rental property to vacate premises at expiration of term","url":"\/55.1-1413\/","token":"55.1\/III\/14\/4\/55.1-1413","metadata":false},{"id":62743,"structure_id":16021,"section_number":"55.1-1414","catch_line":"Abandonment of nonresidential rental property","url":"\/55.1-1414\/","token":"55.1\/III\/14\/4\/55.1-1414","metadata":false},{"id":67992,"structure_id":16021,"section_number":"55.1-1415","catch_line":"Failure to pay certain rents after five days' notice forfeits right of possession","url":"\/55.1-1415\/","token":"55.1\/III\/14\/4\/55.1-1415","metadata":false},{"id":87436,"structure_id":16021,"section_number":"55.1-1416","catch_line":"Authority of sheriffs to store and sell personal property removed from nonresidential premises; recovery of possession by owner; disposition or sale","url":"\/55.1-1416\/","token":"55.1\/III\/14\/4\/55.1-1416","metadata":false},{"id":69251,"structure_id":16021,"section_number":"55.1-1417","catch_line":"Who may recover rent or possession","url":"\/55.1-1417\/","token":"55.1\/III\/14\/4\/55.1-1417","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":87436,"structure_id":16021,"section_number":"55.1-1416","catch_line":"Authority of sheriffs to store and sell personal property removed from nonresidential premises; recovery of possession by owner; disposition or sale","url":"\/55.1-1416\/","token":"55.1\/III\/14\/4\/55.1-1416","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/55.1-1417\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1983. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 8 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1983 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 9 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1989, chapter 612; in 1998, chapter 452<\/a>; in 2003, chapters 665<\/a> and 667<\/a>; in 2004, chapters 338<\/a> and 365<\/a>; in 2010, chapter 550<\/a>; in 2013, chapter 563<\/a>; in 2015, chapter 190<\/a>; in 2018, chapter 221<\/a>; in 2019, chapters 180<\/a>, 477<\/a>, 700<\/a>, and 712<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":81566,"section_number":"16.1-88.03","catch_line":"Pleadings and other papers by certain parties not represented by attorneys","order_by":null,"url":"\/16.1-88.03\/"},{"id":65670,"section_number":"54.1-2106.1","catch_line":"Licenses required","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2106.1\/"},{"id":61413,"section_number":"55.1-1200","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/55.1-1200\/"},{"id":75626,"section_number":"8.01-128","catch_line":"Verdict and judgment; damages","order_by":null,"url":"\/8.01-128\/"},{"id":77027,"section_number":"8.01-257","catch_line":"Venue generally","order_by":null,"url":"\/8.01-257\/"}],"permalink":{"id":246337,"object_type":"law","relational_id":69251,"identifier":"55.1-1417","token":"55.1\/III\/14\/4\/55.1-1417","url":"\/55.1-1417\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/55.1-1417\/","token":"55.1\/III\/14\/4\/55.1-1417","dublin_core":{"Title":"Who may recover rent or possession","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 55.1-1417","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Notwithstanding any rule of court<\/span> to the contrary, (i) any person licensed under the provisions of \u00a7 54.1-2106.1<\/a>, (ii) any property manager or the managing agent of a landlord as defined in \u00a7 55.1-1200<\/a> pursuant to the written property management agreement, or directors, or by a manager, a general partner, or a trustee, of a partnership, association, corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, professional corporation, professional limited liability company, registered limited liability partnership, registered limited liability limited partnership, business trust, or family trust to sign pleadings<\/span> as the agent of the business entity, may obtain a judgment<\/span> (a) for possession<\/span> in the general district court<\/span> for the county or city in which the premises, or part thereof, is situated or (b) for rent or damages<\/span>, including actual damages<\/span> for breach of the rental agreement, or for final rent and damages<\/span> under \u00a7 8.01-128<\/a>, in any general district court<\/span> where venue<\/span> is proper under Chapter 5 (\u00a7 8.01-257<\/a> et seq.) of Title 8.01, against any defendant<\/span> if the person seeking such judgment<\/span> had a contractual agreement with the landlord to manage the premises for which rent or possession<\/span> is due and may prepare, execute, file, and have served on other parties in any general district court<\/span> a warrant in debt, suggestion for summons<\/span> in garnishment<\/span>, garnishment<\/span> summons<\/span>, order<\/span> of possession<\/span>, writ of eviction, or writ of fieri facias<\/span> arising out of a landlord-tenant relationship. However, the activities of any such person in court<\/span> shall be limited by the provisions of \u00a7 16.1-88.03<\/a>. However, nothing shall be construed as preventing a nonlawyer from requesting relief from the court<\/span> as provided by law<\/span> or statute<\/span> when such nonlawyer is before the court<\/span> on one of the actions specified herein.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nWHO MAY RECOVER RENT OR POSSESSION (\u00a7 55.1-1417)\n\nNotwithstanding any rule of court to the contrary, (i) any person licensed under\nthe provisions of \u00a7 54.1-2106.1, (ii) any property manager or the managing\nagent of a landlord as defined in \u00a7 55.1-1200 pursuant to the written property\nmanagement agreement, or directors, or by a manager, a general partner, or a\ntrustee, of a partnership, association, corporation, limited liability company,\nlimited partnership, professional corporation, professional limited liability\ncompany, registered limited liability partnership, registered limited liability\nlimited partnership, business trust, or family trust to sign pleadings as the\nagent of the business entity, may obtain a judgment (a) for possession in the\ngeneral district court for the county or city in which the premises, or part\nthereof, is situated or (b) for rent or damages, including actual damages for\nbreach of the rental agreement, or for final rent and damages under \u00a7 8.01-128,\nin any general district court where venue is proper under Chapter 5 (\u00a7 8.01-257\net seq.) of Title 8.01, against any defendant if the person seeking such\njudgment had a contractual agreement with the landlord to manage the premises\nfor which rent or possession is due and may prepare, execute, file, and have\nserved on other parties in any general district court a warrant in debt,\nsuggestion for summons in garnishment, garnishment summons, order of possession,\nwrit of eviction, or writ of fieri facias arising out of a landlord-tenant\nrelationship. However, the activities of any such person in court shall be\nlimited by the provisions of \u00a7 16.1-88.03. However, nothing shall be construed\nas preventing a nonlawyer from requesting relief from the court as provided by\nlaw or statute when such nonlawyer is before the court on one of the actions\nspecified herein.\n\nHISTORY: 1983, c. 8, \u00a7 55-246.1; 1989, c. 612; 1998, c. 452; 2003, cc. 665,\n667; 2004, cc. 338, 365; 2010, c. 550; 2013, c. 563; 2015, c. 190; 2018, c. 221;\n2019, cc. 180, 477, 700, 712.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}