Paying rent without an app: Virginia requires check and money-order options

The payment choice is written into state law

A renter should not have to assume that a payment app is the only way to meet the monthly bill. Virginia’s current residential landlord-tenant statute requires landlords to accept periodic rent and security deposits by check and money order.

The Department of Housing and Community Development repeats that requirement in its tenant-rights statement updated July 1, 2026.

The rule matters for households that prefer a paper record, have difficulty using a portal or want to avoid an extra transaction charge. DHCD says the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act covers most residential rentals.

A particular housing arrangement can require a closer look at which law applies.

Ask about the fee-free route

The statute also requires an alternative without additional collection or processing fees when a landlord charges such fees. For electronic payments, the law limits the charge to the landlord’s actual third-party processing expense.

A convenience charge appearing in a portal is therefore a reason to ask what other payment method is available.

Our suggestion is to ask in writing for the payee name, delivery address or accepted handoff location, and the method that carries no processing charge. Confirm how the office handles a payment delivered outside its normal hours.

Payment options do not resolve a separate dispute over when rent is due.

If you use a money order, retain the purchaser’s receipt as well as the landlord’s acknowledgment. Virginia law requires a written receipt when rent is paid in cash or by money order.

A photograph of the money order before delivery can also help organize your own records.

When the account balance looks wrong

A tenant can make a written request for a statement of charges and payments covering the tenancy or the past 12 months, whichever is shorter. The current code gives the landlord 10 business days to provide it.

Compare that ledger with your own records before trying to reconcile a disputed balance from memory.

DHCD’s July statement links tenants with questions to local legal aid at 866-534-5243. Use that route when a payment refusal or disputed charge needs advice specific to your lease.

Keep paying attention to notices and deadlines while seeking help.

This article explains payment procedures; it does not decide a dispute between a tenant and landlord. The source documents below let both parties check the same wording before the next payment is due.