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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>57532</law_id><section_number>55.1-1257</section_number><catch_line>Who may recover rent or possession</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="55.1">Property and Conveyances</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="III">Rental Conveyances</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="12">Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="5">Landlord Remedies</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Notwithstanding any rule of <span class="dictionary">court</span> to the contrary, (i) any <span class="dictionary">person</span> licensed under the provisions of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Licenses required" href="/54.1-2106.1/">54.1-2106.1</a>, (ii) any property manager or the <span class="dictionary">managing agent</span> of a <span class="dictionary">landlord</span> as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/55.1-1200/">55.1-1200</a> pursuant to the written property management agreement, or (iii) any employee, who is authorized in writing by a corporate officer with the approval of the board of 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 <span class="dictionary">pleadings</span> as the agent of the business entity may obtain a <span class="dictionary">judgment</span> (a) for <span class="dictionary">possession</span> in the general district <span class="dictionary">court</span> for the county or city in which the <span class="dictionary">premises</span>, or part thereof, is situated or (b) for <span class="dictionary">rent</span> or <span class="dictionary">damages</span>, including actual <span class="dictionary">damages</span> for breach of the <span class="dictionary">rental agreement</span>, or for final <span class="dictionary">rent</span> and <span class="dictionary">damages</span> under &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Verdict and judgment; damages" href="/8.01-128/">8.01-128</a>, in any general district <span class="dictionary">court</span> where <span class="dictionary">venue</span> is proper under Chapter 5 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Venue generally" href="/8.01-257/">8.01-257</a> et seq.) of Title 8.01, against any <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> if the <span class="dictionary">person</span> seeking such <span class="dictionary">judgment</span> had a contractual agreement with the <span class="dictionary">landlord</span> to manage the <span class="dictionary">premises</span> for which <span class="dictionary">rent</span> or <span class="dictionary">possession</span> is due and may prepare, execute, file, and have served on other parties in any general district <span class="dictionary">court</span> a warrant in debt, suggestion for <span class="dictionary">summons</span> in <span class="dictionary">garnishment</span>, <span class="dictionary">garnishment</span> <span class="dictionary">summons</span>, <span class="dictionary">order</span> of <span class="dictionary">possession</span>, writ of eviction, or <span class="dictionary">writ of fieri facias</span> arising out of a <span class="dictionary">landlord</span>-<span class="dictionary">tenant</span> relationship. However, the activities of any such <span class="dictionary">person</span> in <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall be limited by the provisions of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Pleadings and other papers by certain parties not represented by attorneys" href="/16.1-88.03/">16.1-88.03</a>. However, nothing shall be construed as preventing a nonlawyer from requesting relief from the <span class="dictionary">court</span> as provided by <span class="dictionary">law</span> or <span class="dictionary">statute</span> when such nonlawyer is before the <span class="dictionary">court</span> on one of the <span class="dictionary">actions</span> specified herein.</p></section></text><history>1983, c. 8, &#xA7; 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.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
