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

Virginia Beach, 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 Registration) before listing their property. Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach.

Registration Requirements

Registration Required: Short-Term Rental Registration. Registration fee: $250. Annual renewal: $250 annually. Register through the Virginia Beach Department of Planning and Community Development — Permits and Inspections or Virginia Beach Department of Planning and Community Development. 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 Virginia Beach: 1. Short-term rental registration required for rentals of 30 days or fewer 2. Operator must register with Virginia Beach Commissioner of Revenue for transient occupancy tax collection 3. In Resort Tourist (RT) zones, STRs are a permitted use by right — no CUP needed 4. In residential zones away from the Oceanfront, STRs require a conditional use permit 5. Maximum occupancy limits apply: 2 persons per bedroom plus 2 additional 6. Noise ordinance compliance required 7. Smoke detector, CO detector, and fire extinguisher required in all rental units 8. Virginia Transient Occupancy Tax (7%) plus Virginia Beach local TOT applies

• •Short-term rental registration required for rentals of 30 days or fewer
• •Operator must register with Virginia Beach Commissioner of Revenue for transient occupancy tax collection
• •In Resort Tourist (RT) zones, STRs are a permitted use by right — no CUP needed
• •In residential zones away from the Oceanfront, STRs require a conditional use permit
• •Maximum occupancy limits apply: 2 persons per bedroom plus 2 additional
• •Noise ordinance compliance required
• •Smoke detector, CO detector, and fire extinguisher required in all rental units
• •Virginia Transient Occupancy Tax (7%) plus Virginia Beach local TOT applies

Platform-Specific Rules

Platform-Specific Rules in Virginia Beach: Airbnb: Airbnb collects Virginia state and Virginia Beach transient occupancy taxes on qualifying rentals VRBO: VRBO also collects and remits applicable state and local taxes Oceanfront note: Oceanfront Resort District has the most active STR market — numerous registered operators 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 Virginia Beach: $500–$2,500 fine per day for operating without registration; Conditional use permit revocation for repeated ordinance violations; Zoning enforcement action for non-compliant operators. Virginia Beach 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–$2,500 fine per day for operating without registration
• ⚠Conditional use permit revocation for repeated ordinance violations
• ⚠Zoning enforcement action for non-compliant operators

Frequently Asked Questions