Virginia eviction money question

[Ian Lord]

So it appears I may have to go through with evicting a tenant in a Norfolk, VA property. I'm guessing that I wouldn't be able to get them out until late December, and it might take a while to get a new tenant in at that time of year. I was in the property a week ago and didn't see any significant reasons to make a deduction from the security deposit. Can I go after the tenant for lost rent from the time they stopped paying until a new tenant is in the property, and if so how does that process work?

[Seth M.]

Ian, I had a tenant break a lease and cause extensive damage to a condo in VA Beach a couple years ago. Good news, you can file unlawful detainer paperwork with the general district court without an attorney using standard forms found online - VA doesn't require attorney representation.

After the eviction is backed by the court you can use it to remove your tenants and receive a judgment for unpaid rent. 

I worked with a couple attorneys. I wasn't overly impressed with either and would see if you can work things out using standard forms first to avoid unnecessary costs.

One caveat - if dealing with active duty military you may want an attorney due to strict notification requirements (I.e. Guardian Ad Litem).