What can I do if I'm getting sued but I do not have money if I lose?

First of all be sure to attend the hearing with any witnesses you have to present your side of the case. But in the event you lose be sure to tell the court that you have no money and will need a payment program. The court should be willing to give that to you.

You can't get blood out of a stone. The judgment creditor can't get what you don't have. BUT the judgment will affect your credit. Also, in a few years, after the judgment has accrued interest at 10% a year, and you have finally landed your first job, you may receive an unpleasant reminder about the judgment in the form of a wage garnishment. Some employers would consider that cause for termination.

More to the point, if you found a sub-tenant, you would not owe for anything other than the one month, as you mitigated the losses. I suggest that you make sure that you defend the action, just to make sure that he ex-landlord does not get more than he or she should. Once there is a judgment in Virginia, the landlord may "domesticate" the judgment in Florida and hound you down here. However, if you don't have the money, there is no debtor prison, and he or she will not be able to get blood from a stone. Relax. Life is short. The judgment will be good for 20 years, though, if it is a Florida judgment (I don't know about one in Virginia), and the Landlord may wait until you need to clear your credit to collect. Sounds like you got into a bit of a fix. Hopefully, it won't be too onerous of an amount.

You need to post this in the Virginia section as the collection and landlord tenant laws are different in North Carolina.