Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Rules in Richmond, VA (2026)

Richmond, VA allows short-term rentals — commonly listed on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO — subject to local regulations that have evolved significantly since 2015. Hosts must register with the city (Short-Term Rental Permit) before listing their property. Richmond regulates STRs to balance tourism revenue with neighborhood quality of life. Key rules cover primary residence requirements, nightly limits, occupancy caps, and tax collection obligations. Hosts who operate without required registration or in violation of city rules face substantial fines. Below are the current registration requirements, rules, platform-specific notes, and penalties for Richmond.

Registration Requirements

Registration Required: Short-Term Rental Permit. Registration fee: $200. Annual renewal: $200 annually. Register through the Richmond Department of Planning and Development Review or Richmond Department of Planning and Development Review. Your registration number must be displayed on all platform listings. Failure to register before hosting is a violation subject to fines.

Operational Rules

Short-Term Rental Rules in Richmond: 1. Short-term rental permit required for rentals of 30 days or fewer 2. Primary residence requirement — host must own and reside in property 3. Maximum of 2 consecutive rentals allowed without host presence 4. Comply with Richmond noise ordinance and occupancy limits 5. Smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguisher required 6. Proof of liability insurance with $500,000 minimum coverage required 7. Virginia Transient Occupancy Tax (7%) applies — platforms collect and remit

• •Short-term rental permit required for rentals of 30 days or fewer
• •Primary residence requirement — host must own and reside in property
• •Maximum of 2 consecutive rentals allowed without host presence
• •Comply with Richmond noise ordinance and occupancy limits
• •Smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguisher required
• •Proof of liability insurance with $500,000 minimum coverage required
• •Virginia Transient Occupancy Tax (7%) applies — platforms collect and remit

Platform-Specific Rules

Platform-Specific Rules in Richmond: Airbnb: Airbnb collects Virginia state and Richmond local transient occupancy taxes on qualifying rentals VRBO: VRBO collects applicable state and local taxes Always verify current platform tax collection and remittance policies directly with your platform — these can change without advance notice to hosts.

Penalties for Violations

Penalties for STR Violations in Richmond: $500–$1,000 fine per day for operating without permit; Permit suspension or revocation for repeated violations; Code enforcement action for nuisance complaints. Richmond has enforcement mechanisms to identify unlicensed short-term rental listings on platforms. Hosts should ensure all registrations are current and listings display valid registration numbers.

• ⚠$500–$1,000 fine per day for operating without permit
• ⚠Permit suspension or revocation for repeated violations
• ⚠Code enforcement action for nuisance complaints

Frequently Asked Questions