LicensedRental

Lancaster County, Virginia

Unincorporated Lancaster County, VA vacation rental requirements

Outside the towns, Lancaster County allows hosted short-term rentals (the owner’s home, owner on site) with staff approval, and requires a Board of Supervisors special exception for unhosted rentals. Every rental registers yearly, carries $500,000 in liability insurance, caps rentals at 240 nights a year, and posts a parking plan inside.

Checked against official sources November 7, 2026

Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.

Only when this town’s rules, fees, or forms change. Unsubscribe anytime.

Hosted rentals
Staff approval
Your primary residence, and you stay overnight during every rental.Source
Unhosted rentals
Special exception
Approved by the Board of Supervisors.Source
Registry
$50, renewed by January 1
Night cap
240 nights a year
And no more than two rental contracts in any seven days.Source
Insurance
$500,000 liability
Commercial general liability endorsed for short-term rentals.Source
Taxes
5.3% sales + 2% lodging tax

The rules took effect July 25, 2024. The county attorney said existing unhosted rentals are not automatically grandfathered, so unhosted owners need a special exception.

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

Lancaster County, Virginia

  1. Then your town or area

    Towns set their own zoning and lodging tax, and the county sets them outside town limits. Pick your area.

Lancaster County (outside town limits)

  1. Apply for approval

    For a hosted rental, file the hosted application with proof the home is your primary residence, your insurance certificate, and a septic permit or sewer certificate of occupancy. For an unhosted rental, apply for a special exception from the Board of Supervisors.Source

    Lancaster STR guide and forms →

  2. Register every year

    File the registry form and pay $50 (checks to Treasurer, Lancaster County). Registration runs through December 31 and must be renewed by January 1.Source

  3. Post the house information

    Post a summary of county rules, a parking plan, the trash schedule, emergency numbers, and house rules in a prominent place inside the rental.Source

  4. 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. For direct bookings, pay the county’s 2% occupancy tax monthly, coordinated with the Commissioner of the Revenue.Source

Fees

$50 a year

Registry (yearly)$50
STR inspection (only without a certificate of occupancy)From the Building Department, on the hosted application.$50

Source

Inspection checklist

What the inspector looks for, from Lancaster County (outside town limits)’s published checklist.

  • Smoke detector in every bedroomTest at least every three months.Source
  • Carbon monoxide detector on each sleeping floorWhere propane is used.Source
  • Fire extinguisherNear the kitchen, heat sources, and any fireplace; check every three months.Source
  • Certificate of occupancyOn file with the county, or a $50 inspection.Source

House rules for guests

Guests
2 per bedroom overnight
Minor children don’t count; bedrooms from the septic permit. No more than 20 people on site.Source
Parking
1 space per bedroom
Source
Response time
60 minutes
Source
Quiet hours
11 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Until 9 a.m. on Sunday. No open-invitation parties.Source
Records
Guest names and dates, kept 4 years
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.