Virginia city rules
Norfolk, VA vacation rental rules and taxes
Norfolk allows homestays and whole-home vacation rentals with a city zoning permit and a business license. Smaller homes with on-site parking in the R-C and SF districts can get a free administrative permit; homes with four or more bedrooms, short parking, or in some districts need a City Council conditional use permit. Vacation rentals need outdoor cameras, decibel meters, and a contact who can arrive in 20 minutes. Stays owe 15% tax plus $3 per bedroom a night.
Checked against official sources November 7, 2026Required parking depends on your bedroom count and the property’s Character District, shown on NorfolkAir. An accessory dwelling unit can be a short-term rental only if the owner lives on the property while it’s rented.
Norfolk raised its room tax for rentals to $3 per bedroom per night on January 1, 2026.
What to do
Check your district, bedrooms, and parking
Vacation rentals (no owner living there) and homestays can get an administrative permit in the R-C, SF-2, SF-4, and SF-6 districts; in SF-T, SF-10, and MF-NS only homestays can. You need fewer than four bedrooms and enough parking on your lot: 8-by-18-foot paved spaces, not on the street (a garage counts as one). Otherwise you need a conditional use permit from City Council, which takes three to six months and a fire inspection report from the last quarter.Source
Apply for the zoning permit
Apply in Norfolk’s E-Permitting Portal. You’ll need proof of insurance, an emergency contact, written owner permission if you aren’t the owner, and written neighbor permission for a shared driveway. Homestay hosts must prove residency with a driver’s license or voter card; condo owners need the association’s written OK. Any unpermitted work (decks, hot tubs, driveways, new bedrooms) must be permitted first.Source
Get the business license
After zoning approval, get a business license from the Commissioner of the Revenue and renew it every year. Renewing the license doesn’t renew the zoning permit, which you reapply for when it expires.Source
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 Commissioner of the Revenue and pay the 9% transient occupancy tax and the $3 per bedroom per night room tax by the 20th of the next month.Source
Fees
About $100 to $150 for an administrative permit (inspection and license); $1,080 more for a first conditional use permit.
| Administrative zoning permitGood for two years. | $0 |
|---|---|
| Conditional use permit, first | $1,080 |
| Conditional use permit, later | $355 |
| Fire inspection | $50 to $75 |
| Business license (yearly) | $50 to $75 |
House rules for guests
Sources
- Short Term Rentals (STRs) · City of Norfolk
- Homestay/Vacation Rental Tax · City of Norfolk Commissioner of the Revenue
- Virginia Airbnb market data (active listings) · AirROI
- Ordinance No. 50,139 (room tax by bedroom), adopted October 7, 2025 · City of Norfolk
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.