LicensedRental

Virginia county rules

Warren County, VA vacation rental rules and taxes

Warren County, home to Front Royal and the north entrance to Shenandoah National Park, requires a conditional use permit for every short-term tourist rental outside town, with a 10-guest cap, a local contact within 30 miles, and a posted evacuation plan. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the county’s 5% lodging tax.

Checked against official sources November 7, 2026
Market
About 110 Airbnb listings
Front Royal 112 (AirROI).Source
County permit
Conditional use permit
Approved by the Board of Supervisors, then a certificate of zoning. Reviewed every year.Source
Lodging tax
5% county
Front Royal has its own 6% tax.Source
Sales tax
5.3%

What to do

  1. Then your town or area

    Towns have their own zoning and some levy their own lodging tax. The county’s rules apply outside town limits. Pick your area.

Towns

Full guide

Front Royal

Front Royal allows short-term rentals in every zoning district, but each one needs a special use permit from Town Council with a property management plan. Council dropped an owner-occupancy rule for the R-1 district in 2022. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the town’s 6% lodging tax.

Full guide

Unincorporated Warren County

Outside Front Royal, Warren County requires a conditional use permit for a short-term tourist rental. The home must be at least 100 feet from neighboring homes, hold no more than 10 guests, have a local contact within about 30 miles, and post a management plan with an emergency evacuation plan. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 5% lodging tax.

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 Spot something out of date?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.