LicensedRental

Virginia county rules

Augusta County, VA vacation rental rules and taxes

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.

Checked against official sources November 7, 2026
County permit
Special use permit
Decided by the Board of Zoning Appeals after a public hearing.Source
Owner occupancy
Owner lives on the property
Under the 2017 rules for rural residential districts; the owner doesn’t have to be home during each stay.Source
Lodging tax
6% county
Report to the Commissioner of the Revenue by the 20th; pay the Treasurer.Source
Sales tax
5.3%

The Cities of Staunton and Waynesboro are separate localities, not part of Augusta County. The towns of Craigsville and Grottoes have their own zoning.

We read the county’s zoning rules from 2017 minutes and later hearing notices, not the current code. Confirm the standards with Community Development.

What to do

  1. Apply for a special use permit

    Short-term rentals in a home or a detached accessory unit go to the Board of Zoning Appeals as a special use permit. In the Rural Residential districts, the county’s 2017 rules require the home to be the owner’s principal dwelling and the application to meet seven standards. Ask Community Development for the current standards for your district.Source

  2. Taxes on each stay

    Stays under 90 days owe 5.3% sales tax, and stays under 30 days also owe the local transient occupancy tax. Airbnb collects both on its bookings. If guests pay you directly, file sales tax with Virginia Tax. Augusta County’s lodging tax is 6%. For direct bookings, file a monthly report with the Commissioner of the Revenue by the 20th and pay the County Treasurer.Source

Sources

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 Spot something out of date?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.