LicensedRental

Fairfax County, Virginia

Vienna, VA vacation rental requirements

Vienna’s zoning code bars short-term rentals in accessory living units, and we found no other short-term rental permit in the town code. Fairfax County’s permit doesn’t apply in the town. Stays pay 6% sales tax plus an 8% lodging tax (3% town + 5% county).

Checked against official sources November 7, 2026

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Market
About 40 Airbnb listings
Vienna 41 (AirROI; mailing-address name).Source
Accessory units
No short-term rentals
An accessory living unit can’t be rented for under 30 days.Source
Other homes
No town permit found
Ask town zoning.Source
Taxes
6% sales + 8% lodging tax
3% town tax plus 5% paid to Fairfax County.Source

We read Vienna’s zoning through a third-party copy (Zoneomics). The town recently rewrote its zoning code; confirm the current rules with the town.

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 Vienna

  1. Ask town zoning

    Ask the Town of Vienna’s Planning and Zoning office whether its zoning allows a short-term rental in your home and whether you need a permit. An accessory living unit can’t be used for stays under 30 days.Source

  2. 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. Vienna charges its own 3% lodging tax, and the 5% tourism and regional tax goes to Fairfax County. For direct bookings, ask the town how to file.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.