Writs of Eviction in Virginia: What They Are and Why They Only Show Part of the Picture

Starting July 1, 2023, a new law in Virginia ( HB 1836/SB 1089) requires local sheriffs to report to the court whenever they execute an eviction order (also called a writ of eviction or writ of possession). This change was intended to give the public and policymakers a clearer sense of how many evictions occur in the state. But here’s the catch:

Not every forced move goes through the courts—and even when it does, not every case ends with the sheriff executing an eviction order. That means official numbers on formal evictions may overlook many people who lose their homes through informal eviction before the sheriff is involved. 

Formal vs. Informal Evictions

Most people associate eviction with a formal process: the landlord files paperwork, a judge issues a ruling, and, in some cases, the sheriff removes the tenant. However, many evictions are informal, driven by sudden rent hikes, lockout threats, or landlord pressure, forcing tenants to leave before legal proceedings. Research suggests that nearly half of all forced moves fall into this category, with two to six households displaced for every formal eviction. Because these cases never reach the courts, traditional eviction counts significantly underestimate the true scale of housing displacement.

Learn more about the formal eviction process and how informal evictions can occur at every step along the way in the video below: 

What the New Data Shows—And Misses

Under Virginia’s new law, courts must track eviction writs returned by sheriffs after execution. However, the publicly available data appears incomplete:

• Some localities with thousands of eviction cases—such as Richmond, Chesterfield County, and Henrico County—report no sheriff-executed writs.
• The total number of reported writs is significantly lower than the count provided by the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia (OES).

While the law aims to improve transparency, the current data may not fully capture the scope of executed evictions.

Why This Matters

When families lose their homes—whether through a sheriff-executed eviction or pressure from rent hikes and landlord threats—the consequences are severe and far-reaching:

• Financial: Eviction can lead to job loss, lower credit scores, and increased reliance on social services.
• Children: Kids in evicted households often experience worse health outcomes, school disruptions, and loss of friendships and community support.
• Health: Evicted families face higher risks of homelessness, depression, hospital visits, and even increased suicide rates.

Since available data is incomplete, efforts to address housing instability must consider the many households forced out before ever reaching court, not just sheriff-executed evictions.

Learn More

Check out the full article here. It’s packed with references and insights for policymakers, advocates, and anyone who wants to understand the full scope of the eviction crisis in the Commonwealth.