LicensedRental

Westmoreland County, Virginia

Colonial Beach, VA vacation rental requirements

Colonial Beach requires a yearly short-term rental zoning permit ($50 per unit) and a town business license, both renewed by May 1. The application needs a plat or plot plan of your parking, and a local designee must be able to reach the home within an hour.

Checked against official sources November 7, 2026

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Market
177 Airbnb listings
Zoning permit
$50 per unit, yearly
Runs May 1 to April 30, with a town business license.Source
Drawings
Plat or plot plan of parking
Local designee
Within 1 hour, 24/7
Where allowed
Any zone that allows homes
In an existing, legal dwelling.Source

Three or more violations (noise, parking, trash) in six months, or unpaid taxes or fees, can get the permit suspended or cancelled.

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

Westmoreland County, Virginia

  1. Then your town or area

    Towns set their own zoning and lodging tax, and the county sets them outside town limits. Pick your area.

Town of Colonial Beach

  1. Apply for the STR zoning permit

    File one application per rental unit with the Zoning Administrator, with a plat or plot plan showing where guests park and, if the home is on septic, the Health Department’s septic capacity. Name a designee who answers 24/7 and can get to the home within an hour.Source

    Colonial Beach STR application →

  2. Get a town business license

    The permit is valid only with a current town business license. Both expire April 30 and must be renewed by May 1.Source

    Business license online →

  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. Colonial Beach levies a town lodging tax. For direct bookings, ask the town Finance Department (804-224-7181) for the rate and filing schedule.Source

Fees

$50 a year per unit plus the business license

STR zoning permit (yearly, per unit)$50

Source

Inspection checklist

What the inspector looks for, from Town of Colonial Beach’s published checklist.

  • Meets the state building code for rentalsThe town may inspect with 48 hours’ notice.Source

House rules for guests

Guests
2 per bedroom plus 2
Or the septic permit’s limit if lower. Children 3 and under don’t count.Source
Lead guest
At least 21
Source
Parking
On site, in marked spaces
Source
Address
Visible from the street
Source
Records
Keep rental records 1 year
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.