Virginia Short-Term Rental Rules, City by City (Verified July 2026)
Program and regulatory figures verified July 24, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Buying a short-term rental in the wrong Virginia zone is a six-figure mistake. This is the locality-by-locality status table we check before writing a single loan: dated, sourced, and updated when the councils move.
The 2026 status table
| Locality | Status (as of July 25, 2026) | Cost | Key rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach | New STRs confined to two overlay districts | $500/yr zoning permit (Oceanfront) | Oceanfront Resort needs a conditional use permit (renews every 5 years); Sandbridge is by-right with an annual permit; $1,000,000 liability insurance; 1 off-street space per bedroom; Oceanfront boundary being reshaped in 2026 |
| Richmond | Legal with biennial permit | $600 biennial | Primary-residence requirement in residential zones (commonly cited ~185 days; confirm); 1 STR per lot; pre-permit inspection |
| Norfolk | Legal on two tracks | Administrative free; CUP $1,080 first / $355 renewal | Administrative permit by-right if eligible (valid 2 years); or a discretionary conditional use permit; plus fire inspection $50 to $75 and business license $50 to $75 |
| Alexandria | Permit regime effective September 1, 2025 | $100/yr owner-occupied / $350/yr owner-unoccupied | Permit required for any STR used more than 10 days/year; parking 0.75 space/bedroom (0.25 inside the transit area); still being rolled out |
| Arlington | Legal as "Accessory Homestay" | ~$63 permit (per Arlington's current rules) | Host must occupy the unit as a primary residence; permitted in R, RA, and C districts; verify the fee and occupancy figures against Arlington's own rules |
| Luray (Page County) | STRs are "lodging houses"; Special Use Permit required | per town schedule | No by-right path: Planning Commission + Town Council hearing; business license renews annually; town is revising its lodging-house code |
| Roanoke | Separate City and County regimes | per jurisdiction | City of Roanoke permits STRs in most zones with Commissioner-of-Revenue registration; Roanoke County requires a zoning permit and, for smaller parcels in R-1/R-2, a Special Use Permit |
Fees and statuses verified July 25, 2026 against city, county, and state sources; Virginia Beach and Alexandria are the highest-change-risk regimes here. Confirm current rules with the locality before purchase.
There is no Virginia statewide STR law
Virginia's enabling statute, Va. Code §15.2-983, lets any locality set up a short-term-rental registry by ordinance, but it is permissive, not mandatory, and it explicitly does not supersede a locality's separate zoning and land-use authority. That is why STR compliance in Virginia is a two-layer system in most cities: the registry is one layer, and the zoning permit or conditional use permit is the other. A locality can charge a reasonable registry fee tied to actual costs and set a penalty of up to $500 per violation. Understanding both layers is the difference between a legal operation and an expensive surprise.
Virginia Beach: two overlays and a moving boundary
Virginia Beach is the market to read carefully. New short-term rentals are confined to two overlay districts. The Oceanfront Resort area requires a conditional use permit from City Council plus a $500-per-year zoning permit, with the permit renewing every five years and safety inspections on their own cycles. The Sandbridge Special Service District is friendlier: STRs there are permitted by-right with an annual zoning permit and no conditional use permit. Properties outside both overlays that were registered before July 1, 2018 are grandfathered. Carry $1,000,000 in liability insurance and one off-street parking space per bedroom. The live 2026 story: the city is proposing to reshape the Oceanfront overlay boundary, driven in part by a report that about 40% of existing Oceanfront STRs were operating without a valid permit, so re-verify the boundary before you buy. Financing for any of these: Virginia STR loans.
Luray, the Shenandoah Valley, and Massanutten
The mountain markets run their own rules. Luray classifies short-term rentals as lodging houses and requires a Special Use Permit through a Planning Commission and Town Council hearing, with no by-right path. For the unincorporated Shenandoah Valley, including the Massanutten resort area and the surrounding parts of Rockingham and Page counties, we did not locate a single primary county STR ordinance this session, and Massanutten itself layers its own property-owners-association rental covenants on top of county zoning. So the honest guidance is to confirm current county zoning and the Massanutten association's rental rules directly with the county planning department before assuming a by-right path exists. We keep that page in its hedged form deliberately rather than quote a fee we cannot source.
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Frequently asked questions
Are short-term rentals legal in Virginia Beach in 2026?
Yes, but new STRs are confined to two overlay districts: the Oceanfront Resort area (conditional use permit plus a $500-per-year zoning permit) and the Sandbridge Special Service District (by-right with an annual permit). The city is reshaping the Oceanfront overlay boundary in 2026, so verify the current boundary before you buy an Oceanfront property.
How does Norfolk regulate Airbnb?
On two tracks. An administrative permit is by-right and free to apply for if the property is eligible, valid two years. A conditional use permit is discretionary, needs City Council approval, and costs $1,080 for the first permit and $355 to renew. Both tracks also carry a fire inspection and a business license of roughly $50 to $75 each.
Can I run a short-term rental in Alexandria?
Yes, under a permit regime that took effect September 1, 2025 and was still being rolled out in batches through 2026. A permit is required for any STR used more than 10 days a year: $100 a year if owner-occupied, $350 a year if not. Most older web content still describes Alexandria's pre-2025 registry-only era, so confirm the current rule.
Does Arlington allow Airbnb-style rentals?
Yes, under the Accessory Homestay zoning classification, which requires the host to occupy the unit as a primary residence. It is permitted in Arlington's R, RA, and C districts. We treat the exact permit fee and occupancy figures as items to verify against Arlington's own current rules, since our source for those numbers was a secondary aggregator.
Can I short-term rent a cabin near Luray or in the Shenandoah Valley?
Luray requires a Special Use Permit for STRs, which it classifies as lodging houses, through a Planning Commission and Town Council hearing, so there is no by-right path. For unincorporated Rockingham and Page counties, including Massanutten, confirm current county zoning and the Massanutten association's rental covenants with the county planning department before assuming any path exists.
What state law governs short-term rental registries in Virginia?
Va. Code §15.2-983 lets, but does not require, a locality to set up a short-term-rental registry, and it explicitly does not supersede the locality's separate zoning authority. That is why STR compliance in most Virginia cities is a two-layer system: the registry plus a zoning or conditional use permit. Penalties run up to $500 per violation.
Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content, not a loan commitment and not legal or tax advice. City and county STR rules, tax figures, and filing fees change; verify current requirements with the locality, your CPA, or a Virginia real estate attorney before you buy. Loans are subject to buyer and property qualification.