LicensedRental

Fairfax County, Virginia

Herndon, VA vacation rental requirements

Herndon allows short-term lodging only in the operator’s permanent home, with a $200 town zoning permit good for two years, an inspection, and a spot on the town registry. Whole-house rentals with you away are capped at 90 nights a year, and no more than six adults a night. Stays pay 6% sales tax plus an 11% lodging tax (6% town + 5% county).

Checked against official sources November 7, 2026

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Market
About 80 Airbnb listings
Herndon 83 (AirROI; mailing-address name).Source
Town permit
$200, good for 2 years
Plus the town’s short-term registry. Fairfax County’s permit doesn’t apply here.Source
Who can host
Your permanent home
Tenants need the owner’s written consent.Source
Nights
90 a year with you away
No limit when you’re home and rent part of the house.Source
Guests
Up to 6 adults
Including the people who live there. One booking a night.Source
Taxes
6% sales + 11% lodging tax
6% town tax plus 5% paid to Fairfax County.Source

We read Herndon’s rules from a 2020 news report of the vote, not the town code. Confirm the current fee and rules with the town’s zoning office.

Your licensing checklist

In order: the state, the county, then the town.

Commonwealth of Virginia

  1. 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 a business with Virginia Tax →

  2. 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

  3. 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

Fairfax County, Virginia

  1. File the transient occupancy tax if guests pay you directly

    Airbnb and other platforms collect and pay Fairfax County’s tax on their bookings. For direct bookings, file a return and pay the Department of Tax Administration every month by the 20th.Source

    Fairfax County transient occupancy tax →

  2. Then your town or area

    Towns set their own zoning and some set their own lodging tax. The county’s rules apply outside town limits. Pick your area.

Town of Herndon

  1. Apply for the town zoning permit

    Apply to the Town of Herndon for a short-term lodging zoning permit ($200, good for two years) and add the home to the town’s registry. The town inspects before you start and can reinspect. The permit doesn’t override HOA rules.Source

  2. Advertise with your permit number

    Every listing must show your permit number and where guests park: two designated spaces for a single-family home, one for a townhouse or condo.Source

  3. Taxes on each stay

    Stays under 90 days owe 6% 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. Herndon charges its own 6% lodging tax, and the 5% tourism and regional tax goes to Fairfax County. For direct bookings, file the town return every month, even when you owe nothing.Source

Fees

$200 every two years

Short-term lodging zoning permit (2 years)$200

Source

Inspection checklist

What the inspector looks for, from Town of Herndon’s published checklist.

  • Working fire extinguisher
  • Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
  • Town inspection before you startWith reinspections later.Source

House rules for guests

Events
Not allowed
No gatherings beyond the registered guests.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.