LicensedRental

Roanoke County, Virginia

Unincorporated Roanoke County, VA vacation rental requirements

Outside Vinton, Roanoke County requires a zoning permit for every short-term rental, plus a special use permit for lots under five acres in the R-1 and R-2 districts. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s 7% lodging tax.

Checked against official sources November 7, 2026

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

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Zoning permit
Required before renting
For a room or a whole dwelling. Expires on change of ownership.Source
R-1 and R-2
Special use permit under 5 acres
By right on lots of five acres or more. Ask Planning about other districts.Source
Responsible party
Named on the permit
Who handles complaints, if not the owner. Report changes within 30 days.Source
Taxes
5.3% sales + 7% lodging tax

The application doesn’t list a fee or safety checklist. Ask Planning before you apply. The Town of Vinton has its own zoning and homestay rules; see its page.

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

Roanoke County, Virginia

  1. Get a short-term rental zoning permit

    Apply to Roanoke County Planning before your first guest. The form asks for the owner’s and a responsible party’s contact details and the parcel. Tell the county within 30 days if a contact changes, and apply again if you sell.Source

    Short-term rental permit application →

  2. Then your town or area

    Each incorporated town sets its own zoning and lodging tax; the county’s rules apply outside town limits. Pick your area.

Roanoke County (outside the Town of Vinton)

  1. Check whether you need a special use permit

    In the R-1 and R-2 residential districts, a lot under five acres needs a special use permit from the Board of Supervisors before you can apply for the zoning permit. Ask Planning how other districts treat short-term rentals.Source

  2. Apply for the zoning permit

    File the county’s short-term rental permit application with the owner’s and responsible party’s contacts. The zoning administrator can revoke the permit if the rental breaks the rules.Source

    Permit application →

  3. 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. Roanoke County’s 7% lodging tax is paid to the county every quarter. For direct bookings, file the county’s Transient Room Tax Form with the Commissioner of the Revenue.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.