LicensedRental

Loudoun County, Virginia

Leesburg, VA vacation rental requirements

Leesburg allows homestays with a home occupation permit, renewed free each year, a pre-inspection, and a parking sketch. Up to six guests a night. Stays pay 6% sales tax plus a 12% lodging tax (9% town + 3% regional).

Checked against official sources November 7, 2026

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Town permit
Homestay home occupation permit
Runs through December 31; free re-registration each year.Source
Guests
Up to 6 a night
Inspection
Before the permit is issued
Parking
1 to 2 spaces for a basement or outbuilding
None extra if you rent the whole house. Show it on a sketch plan.Source
Taxes
6% sales + 12% lodging tax
9% town + 3% regional.Source

Leesburg is rewriting its zoning ordinance. Ask the town whether new short-term rental rules, such as a yearly night limit, are coming.

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

Loudoun County, Virginia

  1. 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 Leesburg

  1. Apply for the homestay permit

    Apply in the town’s eTRAKiT portal with a sketch plan showing on-site parking. You don’t have to live in the home, but you or an agent must be reachable in person or by phone while it’s rented.Source

    Leesburg homestay FAQs →

  2. Pass the pre-inspection

    The town inspects before it issues the permit. A basement or detached building used for guests must meet the codes for living space.Source

  3. Get a town business license

    Keep a Town of Leesburg business license from Finance and Administrative Services. Renting without the permit brings penalties, and the rental must stop until it’s registered.Source

  4. 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. For direct bookings, register with the town and file Leesburg’s 9% transient occupancy tax and the 3% regional tax every month by the 20th.Source

House rules for guests

Signs
None
No exterior signs or other visible sign of a business.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.