VA Minimum Property Requirements: The Real List (Updated 2026)

A seller’s agent just told you the house will never pass a VA appraisal. Maybe. Maybe not. Most of what people say about VA property rules is old or made up. Here is the real list. VA calls them Minimum Property Requirements, or MPRs. It comes straight from the VA Lender’s Handbook. VA updated some of these rules on February 27, 2026.

What MPRs Are For

VA sums it up in three words: safe, sound, and sanitary. The home must be safe to live in. It must be solid. It must have clean water and working plumbing. That is it. MPRs are not about how nice the home is. VA says in plain words that paint color, worn carpet, and small upkeep items are not repairs the appraiser should call out.

The Requirements, Topic by Topic

Space and Access

• Room to live, sleep, cook, eat, and use a bathroom.
• Safe access from a public or private street with an all-weather surface.
• A private road needs two things. A permanent easement. And a deal to maintain it, either through an HOA or a signed agreement among the owners.
• You must be able to reach the home, and the backyard, without walking through someone else’s home or land.

Utilities and Water

• Electricity for lights and needed equipment. Any frayed or exposed wires must be fixed.
• A steady supply of safe drinking water. Hot water. Working toilets and sinks. A safe way to handle sewage.
• Utilities do not have to be on for the appraisal. The appraiser does not test them.
• A private well or septic system has its own rules. Local rules apply too.

Heating and Cooling

• Heat must be built in. It must keep rooms with plumbing at 50 degrees or warmer. In a mild climate, heat may not be required. This rule was updated February 27, 2026.
• Air conditioning is not required. But if the home has it, it must work. If a fix is obvious, a licensed HVAC contractor has to do it.

Roof, Attic, and Crawl Space

• The roof must keep water out and have some life left. The appraiser does not have to climb on it. If snow covers it, they must explain how they judged it.
• If a bad roof has three or more layers of shingles, every layer must come off before the new roof goes on.
• The appraiser must look into the attic if there is a hatch. They do not have to climb in or move insulation. A water-stained ceiling or poor venting gets listed as a repair.
• The crawl space must have access, be clear of debris, be vented, and be dry. The appraiser looks in but does not enter.

Hazards and Defects

• The home must be free of hazards to health, safety, or the structure of the home.
• Defects must be fixed. VA’s examples: bad construction, poor workmanship, a home that keeps settling, too much dampness, leaks, rot, and termites.
• Furnaces, water heaters, and the like must be safe to run and kept out of the weather.

Lead Paint, Termites, and Burglar Bars

• Lead paint. If the home was built before 1978, VA assumes any paint is lead paint. Peeling or chipping paint must be scraped and repainted, or covered up. Cost is never a reason to skip this one. The VA appraiser must sign off on the fix. For homes built in 1978 or later, bad paint is just cosmetic. Updated February 27, 2026.
• Termites. If the appraiser sees any sign of bugs, fungus, or dry rot, a termite inspection is required. The damage must be fixed. In areas VA’s termite map marks as moderate to very heavy risk, the inspection is required on every purchase, no matter what.
• Burglar bars. At least one window in every bedroom must have a quick release. The only exception is a bedroom with its own outside door. If the appraiser cannot confirm the release works, the bars have to come off.

How Repairs Get Handled

The appraiser lists the repairs. The lender’s reviewer puts only the ones VA truly requires on the Notice of Value. The lender cannot add repairs of its own. From there you have three paths:

1. Fix it before closing. The most common path. The seller does the work, or you do. Then someone certifies it is done.
2. Fix it after closing. VA lets the lender hold money in escrow so some repairs can be done after you close. All repairs must be done before VA backs the loan.
3. Ask for a waiver. After the NOV is issued, you can ask VA to drop a repair. You sign the request. The lender agrees. And the home has to be safe, sound, and livable without it. VA will not waive anything that puts you at risk. If the repair was worth money, VA may lower the value by that amount.

Local Rules Matter Too

VA keeps a list of extra rules by state. Some states want a well test, a septic check, or a termite report on every VA loan. The VA local requirements page is here. We check it on every file so nothing shows up late.

What This Means for Sellers and Agents

Most homes pass. The ones that fail usually have one of five things. Peeling paint on an older home. A bad roof. No working heat. Exposed wires. A wet crawl space. Fix those before you list and a VA buyer is no harder than any other buyer. And a VA buyer can pay full price with zero down. Turning them away costs you.

Sources: VA Lender’s Handbook M26-7, Chapter 12 (Minimum Property Requirements), Topics 1, 3, 4, 14, 15, 20 through 23, 26 through 28, 31 through 33, and 43. Topics 1, 23, and 32 carry a change date of February 27, 2026. VA Pamphlet 26-7 as published on KnowVA.

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