{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/55.1-1232.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/55.1-1232.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/55.1-1232.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/55.1-1232.html"}],"law_id":369250,"edition_id":2,"section_id":369250,"structure_id":52611,"section_number":"55.1-1232","catch_line":"Use and occupancy by tenant","history":"1974, c. 680, \u00a7 55-248.19; 2000, c. 760; 2019, c. 712.","full_text":"Unless otherwise agreed, the tenant shall occupy his dwelling unit only as a residence.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1377196,"text":"Unless otherwise agreed, the tenant shall occupy his dwelling unit only as a residence.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":52611,"edition_id":2,"name":"Tenant Obligations","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":3,"parent_id":52608,"metadata":{"child_laws":7,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:01:43","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:25","permalink":{"id":1473013,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52611,"identifier":"3","token":"55.1\/III\/12\/3","url":"\/55.1\/III\/12\/3\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52608,"edition_id":2,"name":"Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act","identifier":"12","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":52607,"metadata":{"child_laws":70,"child_structures":7},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:01:40","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:24","permalink":{"id":1472887,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52608,"identifier":"12","token":"55.1\/III\/12","url":"\/55.1\/III\/12\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52607,"edition_id":2,"name":"Rental Conveyances","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":3,"parent_id":52600,"metadata":{"child_laws":138,"child_structures":18},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:01:40","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:24","permalink":{"id":1472885,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52607,"identifier":"III","token":"55.1\/III","url":"\/55.1\/III\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52600,"edition_id":2,"name":"Property and Conveyances","identifier":"55.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":120,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":875,"child_structures":101},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:01:36","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:20","permalink":{"id":1471771,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52600,"identifier":"55.1","token":"55.1","url":"\/55.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":369244,"structure_id":52611,"section_number":"55.1-1227","catch_line":"Tenant to maintain dwelling unit","url":"\/55.1-1227\/","token":"55.1\/III\/12\/3\/55.1-1227","metadata":false},{"id":369245,"structure_id":52611,"section_number":"55.1-1228","catch_line":"Rules and regulations","url":"\/55.1-1228\/","token":"55.1\/III\/12\/3\/55.1-1228","metadata":false},{"id":369246,"structure_id":52611,"section_number":"55.1-1229","catch_line":"Access; consent; correction of nonemergency conditions; relocation of tenant; security systems","url":"\/55.1-1229\/","token":"55.1\/III\/12\/3\/55.1-1229","metadata":false},{"id":369248,"structure_id":52611,"section_number":"55.1-1230","catch_line":"Access following entry of certain court orders","url":"\/55.1-1230\/","token":"55.1\/III\/12\/3\/55.1-1230","metadata":false},{"id":369249,"structure_id":52611,"section_number":"55.1-1231","catch_line":"Relocation of tenant where mold remediation needs to be performed in the dwelling unit","url":"\/55.1-1231\/","token":"55.1\/III\/12\/3\/55.1-1231","metadata":false},{"id":369250,"structure_id":52611,"section_number":"55.1-1232","catch_line":"Use and occupancy by tenant","url":"\/55.1-1232\/","token":"55.1\/III\/12\/3\/55.1-1232","metadata":false},{"id":369251,"structure_id":52611,"section_number":"55.1-1233","catch_line":"Tenant to surrender possession of dwelling unit","url":"\/55.1-1233\/","token":"55.1\/III\/12\/3\/55.1-1233","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":369249,"structure_id":52611,"section_number":"55.1-1231","catch_line":"Relocation of tenant where mold remediation needs to be performed in the dwelling unit","url":"\/55.1-1231\/","token":"55.1\/III\/12\/3\/55.1-1231","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":369251,"structure_id":52611,"section_number":"55.1-1233","catch_line":"Tenant to surrender possession of dwelling unit","url":"\/55.1-1233\/","token":"55.1\/III\/12\/3\/55.1-1233","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/55.1-1232\/","history_text":"<p>This law was first created in 1974. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 680 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1974 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 2000, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?001+ful+CHAP0760\">760<\/a>; in 2019, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?191+ful+CHAP0712\">712<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1473035,"object_type":"law","relational_id":369250,"identifier":"55.1-1232","token":"55.1\/III\/12\/3\/55.1-1232","url":"\/55.1-1232\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/55.1-1232\/","token":"55.1\/III\/12\/3\/55.1-1232","dublin_core":{"Title":"Use and occupancy by tenant","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 55.1-1232","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>Unless otherwise agreed, the <span class=\"dictionary\">tenant<\/span> shall occupy his <span class=\"dictionary\">dwelling unit<\/span> only as a residence.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nUSE AND OCCUPANCY BY TENANT (\u00a7 55.1-1232)\n\nUnless otherwise agreed, the tenant shall occupy his dwelling unit only as a\nresidence.\n\nHISTORY: 1974, c. 680, \u00a7 55-248.19; 2000, c. 760; 2019, c. 712.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}