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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>67992</law_id><section_number>55.1-1415</section_number><catch_line>Failure to pay certain rents after five days&amp;#8217; notice forfeits right of possession</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>16.1-88</reference><reference>55.1-1247</reference><reference>55.1-1251</reference><reference>8.01-27.2</reference><reference>8.01-28</reference></referred_to_by><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="14">Nonresidential Tenancies</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="4">Landlord Remedies</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>If any tenant or lessee of nonresidential rental property who is in <span class="dictionary">default</span> in the payment of rent continues to be in <span class="dictionary">default</span> five days after receipt of written notice that requires <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of the premises or the payment of rent, such tenant or lessee forfeits his right to <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of the premises. In such case, the <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> may, at the option of the landlord or lessor, be deemed unlawful, and he may proceed to recover <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of the premises.
		The right to evict a tenant whose right of <span class="dictionary">possession</span> has been terminated in any nonresidential tenancy under this chapter may be effectuated by self-help eviction without further legal process so long as such eviction does not incite a breach of the peace. However, nothing in this section shall be construed to preclude termination of any nonresidential tenancy by the filing of an <span class="dictionary">unlawful detainer action</span> as provided by Article 13 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Motion for judgment in circuit court for unlawful entry or detainer" href="/8.01-124/">8.01-124</a> et seq.) of Chapter 3 of Title 8.01, entry of an <span class="dictionary">order</span> of <span class="dictionary">possession</span>, and eviction pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Authority of sheriffs to store and sell personal property removed from nonresidential premises; recovery of possession by owner; disposition or sale" href="/55.1-1416/">55.1-1416</a>.</p></section></text><history>Code 1919, &#xA7; 5448; Code 1950, &#xA7; 55-225; 2008, c. 489; 2018, c. 221; 2019, c. 712.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
