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Virginia county rules

Pittsylvania County, VA vacation rental rules and taxes

Pittsylvania County covers the south shore of Smith Mountain Lake. Its 1991 zoning code had no short-term rental rules, and a rewrite drafted in 2024 would add a yearly county registration, quiet hours, and septic-based guest limits. Stays pay 6.3% sales tax plus a 4% county lodging tax.

Checked against official sources November 7, 2026
County rules
New zoning ordinance pending
The board’s vote was set for August 2025; we couldn’t confirm the result.Source
Registration (draft)
Yearly, by calendar year
Under state law § 15.2-983.Source
Zoning (draft)
By right in A-1 and R-E
In R-1, a special use permit if you don’t live in the home.Source
Taxes
6.3% sales + 4% lodging tax

Smith Mountain Lake also borders Bedford and Franklin counties, which have their own rules. Chatham, Gretna, and Hurt are towns with their own zoning.

What to do

  1. Find out whether the new ordinance is in force

    The 2024 draft requires a yearly registration, guest records kept for a year, no amplified music from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., closed trash containers, and, on septic, no more guests than the septic permit’s bedroom count. Three substantiated complaints in a year can cost you the registration. Ask county Community Development whether it was adopted and when it took effect.Source

  2. Taxes on each stay

    Stays under 90 days owe 6.3% 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. Pittsylvania County’s lodging tax is 4% (Cooper Center 2025 survey). The Commissioner of the Revenue collects it.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 Spot something out of date?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.