State rules
Virginia vacation rental license and rules
Virginia has no state license for vacation homes. Stays under 90 days owe sales tax (5.3% to 7%, by region), and stays under 30 days also owe the local transient occupancy tax set by each county or city. Airbnb collects both on its bookings. State law lets localities run a short-term rental registry and keeps their zoning power, so rules vary a lot from place to place.
Checked against official sources November 7, 2026Independent cities like Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Richmond are not part of any county in Virginia, so each has its own page here.
Renting out the home you live in? For ordinances adopted after 2023, a locality can’t require a special use permit for a short-term rental in an owner-occupied primary residence.
Stays of 30 days or more don’t owe the local lodging tax, and stays of 90 days or more don’t owe sales tax.
What to do
Know who pays the tax
When a platform like Airbnb books the stay, it collects and pays the state sales tax and the local lodging tax for you. If guests pay you directly, register with Virginia Tax for sales tax and with your county or city for the transient occupancy tax.Source
Register with your locality if it has a registry
Many counties and cities require short-term rental hosts to register every year. Registration is a simple filing (your name, each address, and the owner’s permission if you lease the home), but listing an unregistered rental can cost up to $500 per violation.Source
Check your zoning
Counties and cities keep their power to decide where short-term rentals are allowed and whether you need a zoning or use permit. HOA and condo rules still apply on top. Pick your area for the local rules.Source
Counties
126 counties so far, with more added every month. Don’t see yours? Tell us where your rental is.
Accomack County
Accomack County, on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, is led by Chincoteague, the region’s biggest rental market. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a lodging tax: 5% to the county outside Chincoteague, and 2% county plus 5% town in Chincoteague. Towns set their own zoning.
2 town guidesAlbemarle County
Albemarle County surrounds Charlottesville and allows short-term rentals only as “homestays” in a single-family home that is the owner’s primary residence; vacation homes aren’t allowed. Hosts need a zoning clearance, a yearly fire inspection, and an evacuation floor plan in every room. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 9% lodging tax.
0 town guidesAlexandria
Since September 2025 Alexandria requires a yearly zoning permit for short-term rentals operating more than 10 days a year: $100 if you live there, $350 if you don’t. Every rental must meet occupancy, parking, and Good Neighbor Guide rules. Stays pay 6% sales tax plus a 9.5% lodging tax and $1.25 per room per night.
0 town guidesAmelia County
Amelia County’s zoning lists short-term rentals as a permitted use in its B-1 business district; we didn’t find the rules for other districts. Virginia Tax shows no county lodging tax, so stays pay 5.3% sales tax only.
1 town guidesAmherst County
Amherst County allows “short-term tourist rentals” by right in its A-1, R-1, and V-1 districts only on a home with its own driveway onto a state road and at least 500 feet from the nearest house; otherwise, and in R-2 and R-3, you need a special exception. Every rental needs a county-approved site plan before its zoning permit, two adults per bedroom, and septic pumped or inspected every three years. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 5% lodging tax.
0 town guidesAppomattox County
Appomattox County’s zoning has no short-term rental use; the closest is a bed and breakfast, allowed by right in A-1 and B-1. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 2% county lodging tax, or 5% in the Town of Appomattox.
0 town guidesArlington County
Arlington allows short-term rentals only as an “accessory homestay” in the host’s primary residence, with a $113 permit renewed every year and a county business license. Stays pay 6% sales tax plus an 8.25% transient occupancy tax.
0 town guidesAugusta County
Augusta County, which surrounds Staunton and Waynesboro, reviews short-term rentals case by case: the Board of Zoning Appeals decides a special use permit, and the county’s rules call for the owner to live on the property. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s 6% lodging tax.
0 town guidesBath County
Bath County, home to The Homestead and Hot Springs, requires every short-term rental to register with the Commissioner of the Revenue within 30 days and again by May 1 each year ($10, waived with a county business license). The penalty for not registering is $250 per room-night. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s 4% lodging tax.
2 town guidesBedford County
Bedford County covers the north side of Smith Mountain Lake, one of the region’s biggest rental markets. Every short-term rental needs a yearly zoning permit with a property management plan and floor plan, a local contact within 50 miles, smoke detectors in each bedroom, and on-site parking for cars, boats, and trailers. Renting before you register costs $500.
0 town guidesBland County
We found no short-term rental rules for Bland County. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 5% lodging tax.
0 town guidesBotetourt County
Botetourt County requires a zoning permit and a short-term rental permit before you rent, with a concept plan, a guest log, and guests capped by the septic permit (or two per bedroom). A whole cabin or cottage needs 24-hour management with posted contact information. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s 7% lodging tax.
0 town guidesBristol
Bristol’s zoning code doesn’t mention short-term rentals. Its only lodging use in a home is an owner-occupied bed and breakfast, which needs a special use permit in the residential districts, so ask the city before you rent a whole house. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the city’s 15% lodging tax, one of the highest in Virginia.
0 town guidesBrunswick County
Brunswick County, on the north shore of Lake Gaston, lists short-term rentals (30 days or less) as a permitted use in its R-2 residential district. We didn’t find them listed in the other districts, so ask the county before you buy. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 5% county lodging tax.
0 town guidesBuchanan County
We found no short-term rental rules for Buchanan County. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 2% lodging tax.
0 town guidesBuckingham County
We found no short-term rental rules for Buckingham County. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax + 2% lodging tax; Airbnb collects these on its bookings.
0 town guidesCampbell County
Campbell County calls a vacation rental a “tourist house.” It’s allowed by right on agricultural (A-1) lots of 25 acres or more set back from the road and neighbors, and in the B-LC business district; smaller A-1 lots and the residential districts need a special use permit. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s 7% lodging tax.
0 town guidesCarroll County
Carroll County, along the Blue Ridge Parkway at Fancy Gap and around Hillsville, requires every short-term rental to register with the Commissioner of the Revenue each year. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 5% county lodging tax filed with the Treasurer.
0 town guidesCharles City County
We found no short-term rental rules for Charles City County. Stays pay 6% sales tax + 2% lodging tax; Airbnb collects these on its bookings.
0 town guidesCharlotte County
We found no short-term rental rules for Charlotte County. Stays pay 6.3% sales tax; the state’s chart lists no lodging tax here.
0 town guidesCharlottesville
Charlottesville allows short-term rentals in residential zones only as homestays: the owner must live in the home at least 185 days a year and get a $100 permit every January. Up to six adult guests, no signs, and one annual inspection. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the city’s 9% lodging tax, and hosts also need a city business license.
0 town guidesChesapeake
Chesapeake’s zoning treats short-term rentals as tourist homes or bed and breakfasts, which need a City Council conditional use permit and are allowed only in agricultural (A-1) areas and the South Norfolk historic overlay. Its residential districts don’t list them at all. Stays owe 6% sales tax plus an 8% lodging tax and $2 a night.
0 town guidesChesterfield County
Chesterfield has a mid-sized rental market in Midlothian, Chester, and Bon Air. Stays pay 6% sales tax plus the county’s 8% lodging tax. The county adopted a new zoning ordinance in 2025, and we could not confirm how it treats short-term rentals, so ask county planning before you list.
0 town guidesClarke County
Clarke County allows short-term rentals in its agricultural and forestal open-space districts with a short-term residential rental zoning permit, but not in its Rural Residential district. You don’t have to live there, but only one booking per lot at a time, with guests capped by the septic permit. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s 5% lodging tax.
0 town guidesColonial Heights
Colonial Heights requires a $500 yearly short-term rental permit with an inspection by the building official and fire marshal. Rentals are capped at 180 days a year and six guests, and no more than 5% of the homes in a neighborhood can be rentals. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the city’s 8% lodging tax.
0 town guidesCraig County
We found no short-term rental rules for Craig County. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax + 5% lodging tax; Airbnb collects these on its bookings.
1 town guidesCulpeper County
The Town of Culpeper requires every short-term rental to register with the town each year and bans them in its single-family zones. We couldn’t confirm the county’s rules outside town. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the local lodging tax.
0 town guidesCumberland County
Since January 2024, Cumberland County requires short-term rental hosts to register with Planning & Zoning (no fee), hold a county business license, and pass a fire inspection every year. Rentals are allowed in the RA-1 district without a conditional use permit. Virginia Tax shows no county lodging tax, so stays pay 5.3% sales tax.
0 town guidesDanville
Danville requires a yearly city Short-Term Rental Permit, a business license, and at least one inspection a year. Each bedroom needs an emergency exit plan posted inside the door. Renting a home as its main use takes a special exception from the Board of Zoning Appeals. Stays pay 6.3% sales tax plus an 8% lodging tax.
0 town guidesDickenson County
We found no short-term rental rules for Dickenson County. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 5% lodging tax.
0 town guidesDinwiddie County
Dinwiddie County’s zoning has no short-term rental use; it lists “tourist homes” by right in the R-2 residential district and bed and breakfasts with a conditional use permit in A-2 and R-R. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s 8% lodging tax.
0 town guidesEmporia
We found no short-term rental rules for Emporia. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 11% lodging tax.
1 town guidesEssex County
Essex County requires a short-term rental zoning permit and business license, renewed every year by December 31, with limits of two guests and one car per bedroom. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s 6% lodging tax. Tappahannock has its own permit.
0 town guidesFairfax
The City of Fairfax treats any Airbnb-style rental under 30 days as a bed and breakfast: the home must be owner-occupied and single-family, on a main road, with a special use permit from City Council. Stays pay 6% sales tax plus a 13.5% transient occupancy tax.
3 town guidesFairfax County
Fairfax County allows short-term lodging only in the host’s own primary residence, with a two-year county permit, a 60-night yearly cap, and no more than six adult guests. Stays pay 6% sales tax plus a 9% transient occupancy tax (5% in Herndon, Vienna, and Clifton).
2 town guidesFauquier County
Fauquier County requires short-term rentals to register every year with the Commissioner of the Revenue and to get a $165 administrative permit (renewed for $82.50 a year), or a special permit if the home can’t meet the county’s standards. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county lodging tax.
1 town guidesFloyd County
Floyd County requires short-term rental hosts to register with the Commissioner of the Revenue before listing ($50 to start) and to file a 5% lodging tax every month. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus that 5%.
0 town guidesFluvanna County
Fluvanna requires a $50 short-term rental application for each home and lists the rental in a county registry. Townhouses and duplexes must be the owner’s primary residence, guests are limited to two adults per bedroom, and parking must be on the driveway, not the yard or street. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 5% lodging tax.
0 town guidesFranklin
We found no short-term rental rules for Franklin. Stays pay 6% sales tax plus a 8% lodging tax.
2 town guidesFranklin County
Franklin County covers the south side of Smith Mountain Lake. Short-term rentals must be on the county’s registry ($200 a year) and pass a yearly inspection, with an evacuation plan posted, two adults per bedroom, and a fire extinguisher on every floor. They’re allowed by right only in unzoned areas and planned developments, need a special use permit in A-1, and are barred in other districts.
0 town guidesFrederick County
Frederick County allows short-term lodging by right in its Rural Areas, Residential Performance, and mobile home districts with a $200 administrative permit. Rentals are capped at 10 guests and 5 guest rooms, and each sleeping room needs a posted exit plan. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s 6% lodging tax.
0 town guidesFredericksburg
Fredericksburg allows homestays by right in most residential and commercial districts: the host lives there, rents up to two bedrooms to no more than four guests, and hosts no more than 90 days a year. A bed and breakfast inn needs a special use permit. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the city’s lodging tax.
0 town guidesGalax
Galax, an independent city near the Blue Ridge Parkway, has a small rental market. Its zoning code doesn’t mention short-term rentals by name, but it treats tourist homes and other transient lodging as something other than a residence, so check your zone with the city. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus an 8% lodging tax.
2 town guidesGiles County
We found no short-term rental rules for Giles County. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax + 5% county lodging tax; Airbnb collects these on its bookings.
0 town guidesGloucester County
We found no short-term rental rules on Gloucester County’s planning pages. The Commissioner of the Revenue registers lodging providers, collects a monthly transient lodging tax, and has an annual attestation form for accommodations providers. Stays owe 6.3% sales tax plus the county lodging tax.
0 town guidesGoochland County
Goochland requires every short-term rental to register with the county each year. In the agricultural districts, hosted rentals in the owner’s home are allowed with standards; whole-home (unhosted) rentals, and any rental in a residential district, need a conditional use permit. No more than 10 people. Stays pay 6% sales tax plus a 2% lodging tax.
0 town guidesGrayson County
Grayson County, around Grayson Highlands, Mount Rogers, and the New River, has a small rental market. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus an 8% lodging tax, which direct bookers pay to the county Treasurer every quarter.
0 town guidesGreene County
Greene County’s zoning allows “tourist lodging” by right in its agricultural (A-1) and conservation (C-1) districts with up to five guest rooms in one dwelling per parcel, and by special use permit beyond that. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s lodging tax.
0 town guidesGreensville County
We found no short-term rental rules for Greensville County. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 5% lodging tax.
0 town guidesHalifax County
We found no short-term rental rules for Halifax County. Stays pay 6.3% sales tax plus a 5% lodging tax.
0 town guidesHampton
Hampton caps short-term rentals at 1% of homes in each of 51 zones, keeps them 300 feet apart, and requires a city permit, an inspection, and an approved floor plan posted for guests. Buckroe’s zone has been full. Stays owe 6% sales tax plus a 9% lodging tax and $2 a night.
1 town guidesHanover County
Hanover has a small rental market around Mechanicsville and Ashland. Stays pay 6% sales tax plus the county’s 8% lodging tax. The county was drafting short-term rental rules in late 2024 (a permit, rental records, parking, and a 60-minute complaint response); we could not confirm whether they were adopted.
0 town guidesHarrisonburg
Harrisonburg allows short-term rentals only where the operator lives on the property. A “homestay” is allowed by right for up to 90 nights and 4 guests a year; anything more needs a special use permit from City Council. Every host registers each year ($25). Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the city’s 7% lodging tax.
0 town guidesHenrico County
Henrico allows short-term rentals only in the owner’s primary residence, in single-family and agricultural zones. Hosted stays of up to six guests and 60 days a year are allowed by right on lots with 80 feet of street frontage; whole-home stays while you’re away, or anything larger, need a $300 conditional use permit. Every rental registers yearly for $200. Stays pay 6% sales tax plus an 8% lodging tax.
0 town guidesHenry County
We found no short-term rental rules in Henry County’s zoning ordinance. Stays pay 6.3% sales tax plus a 5% county lodging tax. Martinsville, an independent city surrounded by the county, has its own rules.
1 town guidesHighland County
Highland County has no county business license, and we found no short-term rental permit. Check zoning with the county’s Department of Building and Zoning. Every short-term rental pays a 5% lodging tax, filed quarterly, plus 5.3% sales tax.
0 town guidesHopewell
We found no short-term rental rules for Hopewell. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax + 10% lodging tax; Airbnb collects these on its bookings.
2 town guidesIsle of Wight County
Isle of Wight County legalized whole-home short-term rentals in December 2023, with a $35 yearly registration and neighbor notice; Smithfield has its own rules. Stays pay 6% sales tax plus a 5% county lodging tax; Smithfield charges its own 6%.
0 town guidesJames City County
James City County, which surrounds Williamsburg, treats short-term rentals as “tourist homes” or “rental of rooms,” and most residential districts require a Board of Supervisors special use permit. The county’s plan favors rentals in rural or commercial areas, on a major road, at the edge of a subdivision, with the owner living on site, and it has denied whole-home rentals that miss those marks. Stays pay 7% sales tax plus a 5% lodging tax and $2 a night.
0 town guidesKing and Queen County
We found no short-term rental rules for King and Queen County. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax; no county lodging tax; Airbnb collects these on its bookings.
0 town guidesKing George County
King George County has a small rental market. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s 5% lodging tax, filed monthly. We could not find county short-term rental zoning rules online.
1 town guidesKing William County
King William County has a small rental market. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s 7% lodging tax, filed monthly. We could not find county short-term rental zoning rules online.
3 town guidesLancaster County
Lancaster County, on the Northern Neck, runs a yearly short-term rental registry ($50) and requires a Board of Supervisors special exception for any rental the owner doesn’t live in. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 2% county lodging tax. Kilmarnock, Irvington, and White Stone set their own rules.
0 town guidesLee County
We found no short-term rental rules for Lee County. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 5% lodging tax.
0 town guidesLexington
Lexington requires a $50 yearly registration for every short-term rental. In its residential districts the host must live in the home at least 185 days a year and can rent no more than 104 nights, only 45 of them with the host away; commercial districts have no caps. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the city’s 8% lodging tax.
4 town guidesLoudoun County
Loudoun County requires every short-term rental outside its towns to register with the county each year (free) and get a zoning permit, with a floor plan and parking drawing. Leesburg, Middleburg, and Purcellville run their own rules. Stays pay 6% sales tax plus a lodging tax of 8% in the county or the town’s own rate.
3 town guidesLouisa County
Louisa County, home to most of Lake Anna, is one of Virginia’s top-earning rental markets. Since January 2024, short-term rentals are allowed by right in agricultural zones and by right with conditions in the lake’s residential and resort zones; elsewhere they need a conditional use permit. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 7% county lodging tax, and the towns of Louisa and Mineral add their own.
0 town guidesLunenburg County
We found no short-term rental rules for Lunenburg County. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax; the state’s chart lists no lodging tax here.
0 town guidesLynchburg
Lynchburg is the region’s largest Airbnb market. Every short-term rental registers with the city ($150) through its Citizen Portal, and no more than four unrelated people may stay. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the city’s 6.5% lodging tax and $1 per room per night.
0 town guidesMadison County
Madison County’s zoning allows one short-term lodging unit by right in its conservation, agricultural, and two residential districts, as long as you register and pay the lodging tax; more than one unit needs a special use permit in the conservation and agricultural districts. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s 6% lodging tax.
0 town guidesMartinsville
Martinsville’s zoning allows short-term rentals by right in residential and mixed-use districts, but the owner must live on the property full time. Other rules: two adults per bedroom, off-street parking, no meals, and an owner or overseer on call around the clock. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the city’s lodging tax.
0 town guidesMathews County
Mathews County, on the Chesapeake Bay, requires a $25 county zoning permit and signed use agreement for every short-term vacation rental, with a local agent who can respond within two hours. Since 2023, each rental must display a fire evacuation route and keep a fire extinguisher. A 2025 proposal would add a yearly business license as the county’s registry. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 5% lodging tax.
2 town guidesMecklenburg County
Mecklenburg County, on Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) and Lake Gaston, is Southside Virginia’s main lake rental market. The county’s new October 2026 zoning ordinance has no short-term rental rules, and Clarksville has none yet either. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 5% county lodging tax; Clarksville charges its own 6.5%.
1 town guidesMiddlesex County
Middlesex County regulates whole-home short-term rentals as “tourist homes” in its zoning ordinance, a section in force since 2018 and amended in March 2023. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s 5% lodging tax; Urbanna adds its own permit and 5% tax in town.
3 town guidesMontgomery County
Montgomery County is the New River Valley’s biggest rental market, led by Blacksburg and Virginia Tech. Blacksburg and Christiansburg each require a yearly homestay registration for owner-occupied homes; in the county, short-term tourist rentals are allowed by right in A-1 and need a special use permit in residential districts. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 3% to 9% lodging tax.
0 town guidesNelson County
Nelson County, home to Wintergreen and the Route 151 corridor, is a top Blue Ridge rental market. Whole-house “vacation houses” are allowed by right in agricultural zones and Wintergreen’s planned community, and need a special use permit in most residential zones. Every host needs a county business license. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 7% lodging tax. A zoning rewrite now in draft would add a registry and new standards.
0 town guidesNew Kent County
New Kent’s zoning has no short-term rental use; it defines a “tourist home” as a private dwelling with paid overnight stays for up to 14 guests. Stays pay 6% sales tax plus a 2% lodging tax.
0 town guidesNewport News
Newport News allows short-term rentals only in a home the owner lives in at least 185 days a year (or in up to 10% of units in an apartment complex), with up to six guests. You need a yearly $150 zoning certificate, a scaled floor plan showing exits and alarms, an exit plan posted in each bedroom, and $300,000 in insurance. Stays owe 6% sales tax plus an 8% room tax and $1 a night.
0 town guidesNorfolk
Norfolk allows homestays and whole-home vacation rentals with a city zoning permit and a business license. Smaller homes with on-site parking in the R-C and SF districts can get a free administrative permit; homes with four or more bedrooms, short parking, or in some districts need a City Council conditional use permit. Vacation rentals need outdoor cameras, decibel meters, and a contact who can arrive in 20 minutes. Stays owe 15% tax plus $3 per bedroom a night.
4 town guidesNorthampton County
Northampton County is the southern tip of the Eastern Shore, with Cape Charles as its main rental market. Stays pay 6.3% sales tax plus the county lodging tax (5%, or 2% inside Cape Charles), and the county is working on a new short-term rental ordinance.
0 town guidesNorthumberland County
Northumberland County, on the Northern Neck, has rentals around Reedville and Heathsville. Since 2023 the county requires a conditional use permit for vacation home rentals in its R3 (residential restricted) district, and it adopted a transient occupancy tax in 2023.
0 town guidesNorton
We found no short-term rental rules for Norton. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 6% lodging tax.
3 town guidesNottoway County
We found no short-term rental rules for Nottoway County. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax + 2% county lodging tax; Airbnb collects these on its bookings.
3 town guidesOrange County
Orange County’s rental market runs from Lake of the Woods and the Lake Anna shore to the towns of Orange and Gordonsville. The county zoning code lists “short-term lodging facility” as a permitted use in its agricultural and residential districts. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 2% county lodging tax; the towns charge more.
2 town guidesPage County
Page County, the cabin country around Luray next to Shenandoah National Park, allows short-term tourist rentals by right with a county review, a life safety inspection, and a property management plan. The county is weighing a special use permit for most rentals. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 10% county lodging tax, one of the highest in the state.
0 town guidesPatrick County
We found no short-term rental rules for Patrick County. Stays pay 6.3% sales tax plus a 5% lodging tax.
0 town guidesPetersburg
Petersburg legalized short-term rentals in nine zoning districts in June 2025. Every rental registers with the city every year at no cost, and a new rental that isn’t the owner’s primary residence also needs a special use permit. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 10% lodging tax.
0 town guidesPittsylvania County
Pittsylvania County covers the south shore of Smith Mountain Lake. Its 1991 zoning code had no short-term rental rules, and a rewrite drafted in 2024 would add a yearly county registration, quiet hours, and septic-based guest limits. Stays pay 6.3% sales tax plus a 4% county lodging tax.
0 town guidesPoquoson
We found no short-term rental rules for Poquoson. Stays pay 6% sales tax plus a 8% + $2 a night lodging tax.
0 town guidesPortsmouth
Portsmouth has no short-term rental ordinance yet. City planners say state law lets you rent the home you live in, but most whole-home listings don’t comply, and the city has been drafting rules on registration, occupancy, insurance, and spacing. Stays owe 6% sales tax plus an 8% lodging tax and $3 per room a night.
0 town guidesPowhatan County
Powhatan has a small rental market. We found no short-term rental rules in the parts of its zoning ordinance we searched. Stays pay 6% sales tax plus a 5% lodging tax.
1 town guidesPrince Edward County
Prince Edward County, home to Farmville, Longwood, and Hampden-Sydney, allows “short-term tourist rentals” by right in its two agricultural districts and with a special use permit in its residential and college residential districts. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s 7% lodging tax.
0 town guidesPrince George County
We found no short-term rental rules for Prince George County. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax + 7% lodging tax; Airbnb collects these on its bookings.
0 town guidesPrince William County
We found no short-term rental permit or registry in Prince William County. The county’s zoning guide lists bed and breakfast inns (up to 10 guest rooms in a single-family home) by special use permit, and the county taxes homestays and tourist homes. Stays pay 6% sales tax plus an 8% transient occupancy tax.
2 town guidesPulaski County
Pulaski County, home to Claytor Lake, has no short-term rental use or registry in its zoning ordinance. The code covers paid lodging as a bed and breakfast (owner on site, up to six rooms) or as a hotel or motel, a use whose definition includes tourist homes and that is listed only in commercial-type districts. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s 5% lodging tax; the Town of Pulaski charges 6%.
0 town guidesRadford
We found no short-term rental use or permit in Radford’s zoning definitions; the code defines tourist homes and owner-occupied bed and breakfasts. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the city’s lodging tax, raised to 8.5% in 2025.
0 town guidesRappahannock County
Rappahannock County requires short-term rental operators to register every year with the Commissioner of the Revenue by January 31, with a $500 fine for each violation. Tourist homes go through a county land use review. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s 4% transient tax.
0 town guidesRichmond
Richmond is Central Virginia’s biggest rental market. A short-term rental needs a city permit, renewed every two years for $600, and in residential zones it must be on the lot where the owner lives at least 185 days a year. The application needs a dimensioned floor plan and passes an inspection. Stays pay 6% sales tax plus the city’s 8% lodging tax.
1 town guidesRichmond County
We found no short-term rental rules for Richmond County. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax; no county lodging tax; Airbnb collects these on its bookings.
0 town guidesRoanoke
The City of Roanoke treats renting rooms in your own home as a “homestay,” which needs a special exception from the Board of Zoning Appeals in residential neighborhoods: up to two guest bedrooms and four guests, with the owner there during stays. Whole-home short-term rentals aren’t a listed use in the city’s residential districts. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the city’s 8% lodging tax.
2 town guidesRoanoke County
Roanoke County requires a zoning permit before you rent a room or a home short-term, and in its R-1 and R-2 residential districts a lot under five acres also needs a special use permit. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s 7% lodging tax.
0 town guidesRockbridge County
Rockbridge County allows whole-house short-term rentals (“tourist homes,” up to five bedrooms) in its agricultural and B-1 business districts, but not in its residential districts, where only a room rental in an owner-occupied home is possible by special exception. Every rental registers with the Commissioner of the Revenue. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 10% county lodging tax.
1 town guidesRockingham County
Rockingham County, home to the Massanutten resort area, now requires an annual $200 short-term rental permit outside its seven towns, with a property management plan, an evacuation diagram, and septic and insurance proof. Existing rentals must have the permit by December 31, 2026. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s 5% lodging tax.
0 town guidesRussell County
We found no short-term rental rules for Russell County. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax; the state’s chart lists no lodging tax here.
0 town guidesSalem
Salem’s zoning code lists a “homestay inn” use, allowed by right in its business districts and by special exception in the AG and RMF districts, but no separate short-term rental use. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the city’s 8% lodging tax.
0 town guidesScott County
We found no short-term rental rules for Scott County. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 5% lodging tax.
3 town guidesShenandoah County
Shenandoah County, with the Bryce Resort area around Basye, requires an annual $225 zoning permit, a safety inspection, and Health Department sign-off for short-term rentals outside town limits; homes with five or more guest bedrooms need a special use permit. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s 5% lodging tax.
0 town guidesSmyth County
We found no short-term rental rules for Smyth County. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 5% lodging tax.
0 town guidesSouthampton County
We found no short-term rental rules for Southampton County. Stays pay 6% sales tax plus a 2% lodging tax.
0 town guidesSpotsylvania County
Spotsylvania County had not adopted a short-term rental ordinance as of the latest update we found (January 2026), but it has been drafting one since 2024 that would add a permit, septic limits, and a posted fire exit plan. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s lodging tax, which Airbnb collects.
0 town guidesStafford County
We found no short-term rental permit, registry, or zoning definition in Stafford County. Its zoning defines a bed and breakfast inn (operator lives there, up to 10 rooms, meals served). Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s 5% lodging tax.
0 town guidesStaunton
Staunton requires every short-term rental to register with the Commissioner of the Revenue within 30 days of listing, for $50 a year per property, renewed by March 1. Operating unregistered costs $500 per violation. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the city’s 6.7% lodging tax.
0 town guidesSuffolk
Suffolk’s zoning has no short-term rental category; the nearest use is a bed and breakfast, where the owner lives on or next to the property. Ask the city for a written zoning determination before listing a whole home. Stays owe 6% sales tax plus the city’s lodging tax, reported at 8% plus $1 a night.
0 town guidesSurry County
Surry County is studying how to regulate short-term rentals and has surveyed residents to draft future guidelines and ordinances. Stays owe 5.3% sales tax plus any county lodging tax.
0 town guidesSussex County
We found no short-term rental rules for Sussex County. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 2% lodging tax.
0 town guidesTazewell County
We found no short-term rental rules for Tazewell County. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 5% lodging tax.
1 town guidesVirginia Beach
Virginia Beach is the state’s biggest rental market, and one of its strictest. New whole-home rentals are allowed only in Sandbridge and, with a City Council conditional use permit, in the Oceanfront Resort overlay; elsewhere only grandfathered rentals may operate. Every rental needs an annual $500 zoning permit, inspections, a parking plan, and a sign. Stays owe 15% tax plus $2 a night.
2 town guidesWarren County
Warren County, home to Front Royal and the north entrance to Shenandoah National Park, requires a conditional use permit for every short-term tourist rental outside town, with a 10-guest cap, a local contact within 30 miles, and a posted evacuation plan. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s 5% lodging tax.
3 town guidesWashington County
Washington County, home to Abingdon, Damascus, and the Virginia Creeper Trail, is the biggest rental market in Far Southwest Virginia. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 7% lodging tax. Abingdon allows only owner-occupied “HomeStays,” and Damascus has limited new rentals in its residential zones since 2024.
0 town guidesWaynesboro
Waynesboro’s zoning permits homestays and short-term rentals of otherwise allowed homes in most of its districts, subject to standards in Section 98-4.2.12 that we couldn’t read. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the city’s 6% lodging tax.
2 town guidesWestmoreland County
Westmoreland County’s rental market centers on Colonial Beach on the Potomac, which runs its own yearly short-term rental permit. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus local lodging tax: 3.5% to the county, or 5% in Colonial Beach.
0 town guidesWilliamsburg
The City of Williamsburg allows only one rented room in an owner-occupied single-family house, with the owner home during every stay, for up to 104 nights a year, and only with a Board of Zoning Appeals special exception. Whole-home rentals aren’t allowed in the city. Most “Williamsburg” listings are in James City or York County. Stays owe 7% sales tax plus a 7% room tax and $2 a night.
0 town guidesWinchester
Winchester requires a zoning use permit before you start a short-term rental, which must be a single-family home or townhouse with no more than five bedrooms and ten guests. You’ll file a property management plan and allow a yearly city check. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the city’s 8% lodging tax.
1 town guidesWise County
We found no short-term rental rules for Wise County. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 5% lodging tax.
1 town guidesWythe County
Wythe County has no zoning ordinance at all, so outside its towns there are no county zoning rules for short-term rentals. A first zoning ordinance was being drafted in 2026. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 5% county lodging tax; Wytheville charges its own 8%.
0 town guidesYork County
York County treats short-term rentals as tourist homes: allowed by right in its business districts, but in residential districts only with a Board of Supervisors special use permit ($750). The board’s policy favors owners who live in or within 3,000 feet of the home, one rental per owner, and wide spacing between rentals. Expect a fire inspection every year and a floor plan with your application. Stays owe 7% sales tax plus a 5% county tax and $2 a night.
Sources
- Guidelines for sales tax on accommodations (P.D. 21-116) · Virginia Tax
- Short-term rental registries (Va. Code § 15.2-983) · Virginia General Assembly
- Retail Sales and Use Tax · Virginia Tax
- Transient occupancy tax (Va. Code § 58.1-3819) · Virginia General Assembly
- Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in Virginia · Airbnb
- Virginia Locality Transient Occupancy Rate Chart (as of July 1, 2025) · Virginia Tax
A plain-language summary to help you prepare, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; confirm with the office before you apply. Spot something out of date? Email hello@licensedrental.com.