LicensedRental

Orange County, Virginia

Unincorporated Orange County, VA vacation rental requirements

Orange County’s zoning lists “short-term lodging facility” as a permitted use in the agricultural, limited residential (R-1), general residential (R-2), and planned residential districts, and we found no county rental permit. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s 2% lodging tax.

Checked against official sources November 7, 2026

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County rental permit
None found
Zoning
Permitted in agricultural and residential districts
Listed as “short-term lodging facility.”Source
Taxes
5.3% sales + 2% lodging tax

We read the zoning text from a third-party copy of the county code and did not see the definition of a short-term lodging facility. Confirm with the county before you list.

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

Orange County, Virginia

  1. Then your town or area

    Zoning rules are set by the county outside town limits and by each town inside them, and towns can add their own lodging tax. Pick your area.

Orange County (unincorporated areas)

  1. Confirm your district and the use standards

    Ask Orange County Planning and Zoning whether your home fits the code’s definition of a short-term lodging facility and whether any standards (parking, occupancy, septic) apply. Lake of the Woods and other HOAs have their own rental rules.Source

  2. 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. Orange County’s transient occupancy tax is 2%. For direct bookings, ask the Commissioner of the Revenue how to register and 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.