Pulaski County Landlord-Tenant Law

Virginia landlord guide — county ordinances, courthouse info & local rules

Pulaski County Rental Market Overview

Pulaski County is a New River Valley county of approximately 34,000 residents situated along I-81 between Radford and Wytheville, with its county seat in the Town of Pulaski and the Town of Dublin as its other incorporated community. The county is part of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA and benefits from proximity to Virginia Tech and the New River Valley’s diversified economy. Pulaski’s economy blends manufacturing (Volvo Trucks has a major truck assembly plant in Dublin), healthcare, county/school employment, and a modest commuter population reaching Montgomery County. Volvo’s Dublin plant is one of Virginia’s most significant manufacturing employers with thousands of employees.

Year-round residential rents run $800–$1,100/month. The GDC at 45 Third Street in Pulaski is part of the 27th District shared with Montgomery County and Radford City. Civil UD runs on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m.; contested civil and civil for unrepresented parties run on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays. All continuances require a written request filed before the court date — no verbal continuances. The court maintains a local website at pulaskicounty.org/courts with additional continuance details.

Pulaski County Ordinances & Local Rules

Last verified: March 2026 · Source: Pulaski General District Court — 27th Judicial District

Virginia State Law Framework

⚡ Quick Overview

5

Days Notice (Nonpayment)

21

Days Notice (Violation)

45-75

Avg Total Days

$58

Filing Fee (Approx)

💰 Nonpayment of Rent

Notice Type 5-Day Pay or Quit Notice

Notice Period 5 days

Tenant Can Cure? Yes

Days to Hearing 21-30 days

Days to Writ 10 days

Total Estimated Timeline 45-75 days

Total Estimated Cost $150-$400

⚠️ Watch Out

Virginia requires 5-day written pay-or-quit notice (§55.1-1245(F)). No statutory grace period, but rent must be 5 days late before late fees apply (§55.1-1204.1). Tenant can redeem tenancy by paying all rent, late fees, attorney fees, and court costs on or before the court return date (§55.1-1250). Tenant may also present a "redemption tender" - a written commitment from a government or nonprofit entity to pay within 10 days of return date. Late fee cap: 10% of periodic rent. The Eviction Diversion Program was renewed and expanded in 2025, allowing qualifying lower-income tenants to be placed on court-ordered payment plans.

📜 Eviction Laws Main 📊 Compare This State

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📝 Virginia Eviction Process (Overview)

1. Serve the required notice based on the eviction reason (nonpayment or lease violation).
2. Wait for the notice period to expire. If tenant cures the issue (where allowed), the process stops.
3. File an eviction case with the General District Court. Pay the filing fee (~$58).
4. Tenant is served with a summons and has the opportunity to respond.
5. Attend the court hearing and present your case.
6. If you prevail, obtain a writ of possession from the court.
7. Law enforcement executes the writ and removes the tenant if necessary.

⚠️ Disclaimer: This page provides general information about Virginia eviction laws and does not constitute legal advice. Eviction procedures can vary by county and may change over time. Local jurisdictions may have additional requirements or tenant protections. For specific legal guidance, consult a qualified Virginia attorney or local legal aid organization.

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🔍 Reduce Your Risk Before Signing a Lease: Virginia landlords who screen tenants carefully before signing a lease significantly reduce their risk of ending up in eviction court. Understanding tenant screening in Virginia — including background checks, credit history, income verification, and rental references — is one of the most cost-effective steps you can take to protect your rental property. Before you ever need Virginia's eviction process, proper tenant screening can help you identify red flags early and avoid problem tenancies altogether.

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Pulaski County Virginia Landlord-Tenant Law: New River Valley Manufacturing Hub Guide

Pulaski County occupies a distinctive economic position in Virginia’s New River Valley — it is the manufacturing heart of a region better known for higher education and technology. While neighboring Montgomery County revolves around Virginia Tech, Pulaski County’s Town of Dublin is home to the Volvo Trucks North America assembly plant, one of Virginia’s largest and most significant manufacturing facilities, employing thousands of workers in well-compensated production and technical roles. This manufacturing anchor gives Pulaski County a tenant base that differs meaningfully from other New River Valley localities: blue-collar households with verifiable, stable income rather than the student and technology-sector profiles that dominate Blacksburg and Christiansburg.

Understanding the Pulaski County Rental Market

With approximately 34,000 residents and rents of $800–$1,100/month, Pulaski County is among the more affordable markets in the New River Valley corridor. The county seat of Pulaski on I-81 has experienced some economic transitions as its historic furniture and textile industries declined, but the Volvo plant in Dublin has provided a durable replacement employment anchor. Healthcare — particularly LewisGale Hospital Pulaski — provides another tier of stable employment, and the county’s school and government workforce rounds out the permanent employment base.

For landlords, the manufacturing-dominant tenant pool has distinct advantages: pay stubs and W-2 earnings from Volvo and other manufacturers are straightforward to verify, employment is typically stable with predictable hours and overtime, and union wage rates provide income well above minimum wage. The screening process for manufacturing workers should focus on pay stub verification, employment duration (probationary periods at Volvo can last six months to a year), and credit history.

The Pulaski County GDC: Written Continuances and a Veteran’s Treatment Docket

Pulaski General District Court, 27th Judicial District, at 45 Third Street NW, Suite 102, Pulaski, runs a detailed five-day weekly schedule that reflects the county’s multiple incorporated towns and their separate police agencies. Monday is Pulaski County Sheriff day; Tuesday handles UD first returns (1st & 3rd Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m.) and garnishments (2nd & 4th Tuesdays at 8:00 a.m.); Wednesday is State Police; Friday handles contested civil. One notable feature is the Veteran’s Treatment Docket on 1st and 3rd Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. — a therapeutic docket for veterans facing criminal charges, reflecting Pulaski’s significant veteran population.

The continuance policy is one of the strictest in the 27th District: all continuances require a written request filed with the court before the court date. There is no verbal first continuance and no Clerk-granted first continuance. Landlords who need to continue a UD must submit a written request to Judge Mabe, Bolt, DeHart, Duncan, or Williams before their scheduled 1st or 3rd Tuesday hearing. The court’s local website at pulaskicounty.org/courts provides additional continuance procedures. Plan carefully — a missed or unprepared UD date combined with an inability to continue without a written request can add two weeks to your timeline.

VRLTA 2024 Updates and Pulaski County Practice

All 2024 Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act updates apply to Pulaski County. The 72-hour minimum entry notice requirement (replacing the prior 24-hour standard) is particularly relevant for landlords managing workforce housing near the Volvo plant, where tenants may have rotating shift schedules that make advance notice coordination important. The 10% late fee cap on monthly rent and the fee disclosure requirement of Va. Code § 55.1-1204.1 (all charges on the first page of the lease) apply to all Pulaski County residential leases. The HB 1482 emergency occupancy pathway gives landlords a written-notice process for addressing habitability emergencies without waiting for a court order in limited circumstances.

Pulaski GDC Clerk Anna E. Smythers-Stitt: (540) 980-7470, fax (540) 980-7792. Blue Ridge Legal Services in Roanoke serves Pulaski County tenants at (540) 343-0010. All 2024 VRLTA updates fully applicable.

General informational purposes only. Pulaski GDC: 45 Third Street NW Suite 102, Pulaski, VA 24301 — (540) 980-7470. Last updated: March 2026.