The Virginia Supreme Court has ruled that real estate leases over five (5) years in length are unenforceable, unless they are “under seal,” use the words “this deed, or this indenture” in the body of the document, or are notarized.
If the tenant remains in possession without the landlord's consent after expiration of the term of the rental agreement or its termination, the landlord may bring an action for possession and may also recover actual damages, reasonable attorney fees, and court costs, unless the tenant proves by a preponderance of the ...
The law would generally allow them to refuse to renew the tenancy. The hard part here is that they are giving you notice far enough in advance, and VA law does not require a renewal of the tenancy from the last time I checked.
If your lease runs out, in most cases your landlord can make you leave. They do not need a reason to let the lease run out and not renew. Note: If you have a month-to-month lease, each month is a renewal. That means your landlord can decide to not renew by simply giving you a 30-day notice before your last month.
Once it is signed by both the landlord and the tenant, the lease is a legally binding contract. If you have any questions about anything in this lease, you should talk to an attorney about the lease before you sign it.
There is no rent withholding in Virginia, except under “repair and deduct.”
If it is a year's lease, the lease will usually state that your notice – that you will not be renewing the lease – must be given 30 or 60 days before the lease ends. Often times, a year's lease will change into a month to month lease after the year runs, or it may be for another year.