Colonial Heights, Virginia Eviction Risk: Moderate

Colonial Heights city County carries an average eviction-risk score of 5.1/10, placing it in the Moderate tier for landlords and investors considering the Virginia eviction laws rental market. With just 1 city inside the county boundary and a score range of 5.1 to 5.1, every operating condition here reflects Colonial Heights itself, a self-contained independent city with a total population of roughly 18,352. The county lands at rank 41 of 132 Virginia eviction laws jurisdictions, meaning 40 counties are riskier and 91 are less risky, putting Colonial Heights city County firmly in the higher-risk third of the state rather than safe landlord territory.

At an average rent of $1,234 per month and a rent-burden rate of 31.8%, tenants in Colonial Heights are spending a meaningful share of income on housing. That kind of financial pressure tends to elevate late-payment risk, and landlords should price that reality into their underwriting. A renter share of 31.9% of households means the market is moderately tenant-occupied, large enough to generate consistent demand but not so concentrated that vacancy risk disappears.

The cities inside Colonial Heights city County

Colonial Heights is both the county-equivalent jurisdiction and its only constituent city, scoring 5.1/10 with a population of 18,352. Because there is no intra-county spread, there is no lower-risk sub-market to retreat to within these boundaries. Risk is effectively uniform across the jurisdiction, which makes portfolio diversification across neighboring counties a relevant strategy for investors who want to balance exposure. Comparable jurisdictions in the region, such as Stafford County at 5.16 and Salem city at 5.2, score marginally higher, while Henry County at 5.07 and Pulaski County at 5.05 score slightly lower, giving landlords some benchmarks when evaluating nearby alternatives.

The uniform score also means that local lease practices, tenant screening quality, and property condition carry more weight than geography in determining actual outcomes here. With no lower-risk corner of the county to target, operational discipline becomes the primary lever.

State-level laws that apply here

All landlords in Colonial Heights city County operate under the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, codified at Va. Code § 55.1-1200 et seq. Virginia law requires a 5-day notice for nonpayment of rent (Va. Code § 55.1-1245), a 21-day notice for a material lease violation (Va. Code § 55.1-1245(A)), and a 30-day notice for a material non-curable breach (Va. Code § 55.1-1245(B)) or to end a month-to-month tenancy (Va. Code § 55.1-1253). Landlords must also give tenants 24 hours notice before entry under the same statute framework. A full walkthrough of the Virginia eviction process shows that uncontested cases typically resolve in 21 to 45 days, while contested matters can run 45 to 120 days.

On the cost side, court filing fees run $58 to $90, sheriff lockout fees run $40 to $150, and attorney fees typically fall between $500 and $3,000 depending on case complexity. Virginia eviction costs can therefore climb well past $3,000 for a contested removal once all components are tallied. Virginia does not require just cause for most lease non-renewals, and state law preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so landlords face no local caps on rents in Colonial Heights. For a complete breakdown of tenant-side protections, including the Virginia security deposit limits and Virginia tenant protections that govern security deposit handling and habitability standards, landlords should review the statewide guides before signing new leases.

With a poverty rate of 9.6% and just under a third of households renting, Colonial Heights city County presents a moderate but watchful operating environment; review the city grid above for the score breakdown across the individual city pages.