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Virginia county rules

Wythe County, VA vacation rental rules and taxes

Wythe County has no zoning ordinance at all, so outside its towns there are no county zoning rules for short-term rentals. A first zoning ordinance was being drafted in 2026. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus a 5% county lodging tax; Wytheville charges its own 8%.

Checked against official sources November 7, 2026
County zoning
None (draft in 2026)
The county asked residents for comments on its first zoning ordinance in September 2026.Source
Sales tax
5.3%
Lodging tax
5% county
Wytheville 8%, Rural Retreat 5%.Source

What to do

  1. Then your town or area

    Towns set their own zoning, and some levy their own lodging tax. Pick your area.

  2. 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. Outside the towns, Wythe County’s lodging tax is 5% (Virginia Tax chart). Ask the Commissioner of the Revenue how direct bookings file it.Source

  3. Watch the new zoning ordinance

    The draft would sort the county into agricultural, residential, commercial, and industrial districts. Ask the county whether it will treat short-term rentals as a residential use before it’s adopted.Source

Towns

Full guide

Wytheville

Wytheville’s draft development ordinance (October 2024) would treat short-term rentals as “homestays” with a yearly town permit, a business license, a certificate of occupancy, a parking space per rented room, and a six-adult limit; in residential districts they’d need a conditional use permit and up to three guest rooms. Ask the town whether it was adopted. Stays pay 5.3% sales tax plus the town’s 8% 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 Spot something out of date?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.