Short-Term Rental Laws in Virginia Beach, VA (2026)

Airbnb is legal in Virginia Beach, VA, but with significant restrictions — check the zoning and eligibility rules on this page before listing. Always confirm current requirements with the city before operating.

Yes. Virginia Beach requires a Short-Term Rental Zoning Permit (plus Conditional Use Permit in the Oceanfront Resort STR Overlay District) to operate a short-term rental, which costs $500 and must be renewed every year. Always confirm current requirements with the city before operating.

The Short-Term Rental Zoning Permit (plus Conditional Use Permit in the Oceanfront Resort STR Overlay District) costs $500 (annual renewal). STR Zoning Permit is $500 per address, renewed annually. New STRs in the Oceanfront Resort STR Overlay District also need a Conditional Use Permit with a $360 application fee (CUP expires after 5 years and must be renewed). Annual registration with the Commissioner of the Revenue carries a $50 registration fee for whole-house rentals by owner. Avalara (Oct 2025) reported a new $200 application fee credited toward the $500 annual permit fee as part of the Aug 2025 changes, but the city's permit page still lists a flat $500 fee, so this could not be confirmed on an official source.

Yes — Virginia Beach does not limit short-term rentals to primary residences. Zoning and other restrictions may still apply. Always confirm current requirements with the city before operating.

Hosts in Virginia Beach are subject to: Virginia Beach transient occupancy (lodging) tax (9%), Sandbridge Special Service District transient occupancy tax (replaces the 9% citywide rate) (10.5%), Virginia retail sales tax on accommodations (state + local) (6%) — roughly 25.5% total on gross rental revenue. Platforms like Airbnb collect some of these automatically; check each line's collection method on this page.

Since the August 2025 ordinance, STR zoning violations are criminal misdemeanors rather than civil infractions: fines of up to $1,000 for an initial violation, up to $1,500 for uncorrected violations, and continuing violations can bring additional misdemeanor charges with fines of up to $2,000 (these are maximum fines consistent with Va. Code 15.2-2286(A)(5), which governs criminal penalties for zoning violations; Avalara's report framed them as starting amounts, but local news and the statute frame them as caps). Grandfathered status can be revoked (e.g., for dwelling expansion beyond 25%/1,000 sq ft), CUPs expire after 5 years, and permits can be denied or not renewed for non-compliance. Late or missed monthly tax filings trigger penalties and a statutory assessment plus 10% penalty. The city runs a dedicated STR enforcement program (STR Team, 757-385-8862, STR@vbgov.com) with a complaint line, a Short Term Rental Enforcement Task Force (created 2024), required life-safety inspections (first application, then every 5 years with attestations in between), structural safety inspection reports every 3 years (added after a 2021 deck collapse), required property identification signage including the property manager's name/contact, and a responsible party who must respond within 30 minutes (311 form filed with the Commissioner of the Revenue). In August 2025 City Council converted STR ordinance violations from civil infractions back to criminal misdemeanors to strengthen enforcement.