Washington County, Virginia
Unincorporated Washington County, VA vacation rental requirements
Outside the towns, Washington County collects a 7% lodging tax through the Commissioner of Revenue. The county proposed a free short-term rental registry in 2022, with penalties for not registering; we couldn’t confirm it was adopted. Stays also pay 5.3% sales tax.
Checked against official sources November 7, 2026Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.
We didn’t check the county’s zoning ordinance for short-term rental rules.
Your licensing checklist
In order: the state, the county, then the town.
Commonwealth of Virginia
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 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
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
Washington County, Virginia
Then your town or area
Towns set their own zoning, and some levy their own lodging tax. Pick your area.
Washington County (unincorporated areas)
Register if the county asks
Under the registry the county proposed, you register once with the Commissioner of Revenue (your name, addresses, and every rental address in the county) and it renews each year until you stop renting. There’s no fee, but renting unregistered draws penalties that grow from $20 to $300 a day.Source
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. For direct bookings, file the 7% lodging tax with the Washington County Commissioner of Revenue by the 20th of each month, or by January 20 if you owe less than $600 a year. If every booking goes through a platform, the county’s 2025 rules let you file a yearly statement instead.Source
Ask about zoning
Ask Washington County zoning whether zoning allows a short-term rental at your address and whether you need a permit. Check your HOA rules too.
Proposed registry penalties
| Registration | $0 |
|---|---|
| Not registered within 30 days | $20 |
| Still unregistered 30 days after notice | $200 more |
| Still unregistered 60 days after notice | $250 more |
| Each rental day after that | $300 |
Sources
- Guidelines for sales tax on accommodations (P.D. 21-116) · Virginia Tax
- Short-term rental registries (Va. Code § 15.2-983) · Virginia General Assembly
- Proposed ordinance: Short-Term Rental Registry (June 28, 2022 hearing) · Washington County Board of Supervisors
- Transient Occupancy Tax (proposed amendment to Sec. 58-255) · Washington County, Virginia
- Tax Rates · Washington County, Virginia
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.