It’s lease renewal season! Can I use a lease addendum to renew a lease?  

NVAR does not recommend using an addendum to renew a lease. The Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (VRLTA) changes frequently - often twice a year, in January and July. Because of the frequent law changes, NVAR updates the standard lease form regularly to reflect these changes in the law or in the marketplace, sometimes introducing new rights and obligations for the parties. For example, in the January 1, 2023 standard lease update, NVAR revised the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) paragraph to include U.S. Department of State employees as military tenants who may terminate the lease early upon receipt of orders for change in station or active duty status, an update that was required for the lease to remain consistent with new protections under federal law. The best practice for REALTORS® when renewing a tenant is to use an entirely new standard lease.