Yes, a contract to lease is binding in Virginia. Like some other states, Virginia only requires the signature of one party to be binding.
If the landlord doesn’t sign a lease that has been signed by the tenant, accepting rent has the same effect as signing the lease. If the tenant does not sign a lease that has been signed by the landlord, moving onto the property and paying the rent has the same effect as signing the lease.
A lease signed in this way is only effective for one year (VA Code § 55.1-1207).
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The information for this answer was found on our Virginia Residential Lease Agreement answers.