Is Airbnb Legal in Richmond? 2026 Rules, Permits & Taxes

Permit required

Yes

Taxes on a stay

14%

Fine for hosting without a permit

Up to $2,500

Listings showing a permit number

7%

Latest rule change

January 2025

Listing figures: AirROI, 12 months to September 2026. A number on a listing doesn't prove the permit or license is valid, and a missing one doesn't prove there is none.

The rules in brief

Who needs it

Every owner who rents a home, a room or a unit for fewer than 30 consecutive days.^3,7,19

Issued by

City of Richmond Planning and Development Review, Zoning Administration

Valid for

Two years: the certificate expires 730 days after it is issued, and a new application can be filed no sooner than 30 days before it expires.

On listings

The number must appear on every listing

Platform checks

The city requires the permit approval number in every advertisement, and Airbnb's Richmond help page lists applying for the permit as the first host step. The city's published rules describe no platform check or delisting process; enforcement runs through complaint investigations, zoning inspections and the city's listing-screening software.

Fees

Who qualifies

• The operator must be the property owner.
• In residential zoning districts the rental must be on the lot of the operator's primary residence, checked against Virginia DMV or City registrar records, and only one rental is allowed per lot.
• In other districts a multifamily building may have up to ten or one-third of its units as short-term rentals, whichever is less.
• Condominium and co-op units need evidence that the board approved short-term rental use.
• Delinquent real estate taxes on the property must be paid before the permit is approved.

How to apply

1. 1 Check that the owner will apply (not a tenant) and, in a residential zoning district, that the home is the owner's primary residence; condominium and co-op owners attach evidence of board approval.
2. 2 Create an account in the City's Online Permit Portal and apply for a Short-Term Rental Permit.
3. 3 Upload the signed Short-Term Rental Owner Affidavit, proof of primary residency (a DMV-issued ID card or a Virginia voter registration card showing the current address) and a dimensioned floor plan labeled with each room's use, sleeping-room occupancy, emergency egress openings, and the location of fire extinguishers and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
4. 4 Pass the building inspection that the city requires before it issues the Certificate of Zoning Compliance.
5. 5 Put the permit approval number on every advertisement, and obtain a Richmond business license and a lodging tax account for any bookings made outside Airbnb.

Permit rules

Permit required: Certificate of Zoning Compliance

An owner who rents a home, a room or a unit for fewer than 30 consecutive days needs a Short-Term Rental Permit, issued by the city as a Certificate of Zoning Compliance, before operating.^3,7,19 In force since July 1, 2020

Permit number on every advertisement

The Short-Term Rental Permit approval number must appear on every advertisement for the property, including the Airbnb listing.^3,7

Permit lasts 730 days

Each certificate expires 730 days after it is issued; the operator can apply for a new one no sooner than 30 days before expiry.^3,7,19 In force since September 25, 2023

Permit can be revoked; inspections on notice

The Zoning Administrator can revoke a permit that no longer complies with the rules, and the owner agrees that city staff may enter the property on reasonable notice to check compliance.¹⁵

Real estate taxes must be current

The city will not approve the Certificate of Zoning Compliance until any delinquent real estate taxes on the property are paid.³

The operator must be the owner

Richmond's rules name the property owner as the short-term rental operator, and the permit is issued to the owner.⁷

Residential zones: your primary residence only

In a residential zoning district the rental must be on the same lot as the operator's primary residence, which the city checks against Virginia DMV or City registrar records.^3,7 Applies to: Residential zoning districts · In force since September 25, 2023

Proof of primary residence

Applicants prove residence with a DMV-issued ID card or a Virginia voter registration card showing the current address. The City Code has had no 185-day stay rule since the 2023 amendment: primary residence is judged by DMV or City registrar records on the application date. The city's June 2024 owner affidavit still describes the rule as occupying the lot at least 185 days each year.^3,6,15 Applies to: Residential zoning districts

Which districts the primary-residence rule covers

The primary-residence rule applies in the R-1 to R-8, R-5A, R-43, R-48, R-53, R-63, R-73, R-MH, RO-1, RO-2 and RO-3 zoning districts; it is not written for other districts.^3,7 Applies to: Residential zoning districts · In force since September 25, 2023

Other districts: multifamily buildings capped

In non-residential zoning districts, a multifamily building may have at most ten of its units, or one-third of them if that is fewer, used as short-term rentals.^3,7 Applies to: Non-residential zoning districts · In force since September 25, 2023

One rental per lot in residential zones

Only one short-term rental is allowed on any lot in a residential zoning district.⁷ Applies to: Residential zoning districts

Whole-home rentals without the host on site are allowed

The rules do not distinguish hosted from unhosted stays, so an owner can rent the whole house without being on site during the stay.⁷

Companies and trusts as owners

When the owner is a company or trust, a rental in a residential district must be on the lot of the primary residence of the person who manages its day-to-day operations, or of its trustee or beneficiary.^3,6 Applies to: Owners that are companies or trusts · In force since September 25, 2023

Tenants: state law and the city's owner rule

State law bars a locality from prohibiting a short-term rental solely because the operator is a tenant, if the owner gives permission, while Richmond's rules name the property owner as the operator; a tenant confirms the permit with the Zoning Administration office before listing.^1,7 Applies to: Tenants

Condo and co-op units need board approval

For a condominium or co-op unit, the operator submits evidence that the condominium or co-op board has approved short-term rental use.^3,6 Applies to: Condominiums and co-ops · In force since September 25, 2023

Deed covenants and HOA rules still apply

A city permit does not override deed covenants or a property owners' association's bylaws, which can still ban short stays.^1,3

No limit on nights

Richmond does not cap the number of nights a short-term rental can operate in a year.^7,19

The rules cover stays under 30 nights

The permit and rules apply to rentals of fewer than 30 consecutive days; longer stays fall outside the short-term rental rules.⁷

Up to eight adults

A rental may house at most eight adults and at most two people over 18 per sleeping room, with at least one adult among the renters; the number of children is not limited, and the building code can set a lower limit.^3,7,15 In force since September 25, 2023

No double bookings

An operator may not accept more than one booking for the same dates that would put two separately booked parties in the rental at the same time.^7,15

Smoke and CO detectors and a fire extinguisher

Smoke detectors must meet the Virginia Residential Construction Code, a fire extinguisher must be accessible at all times, and carbon monoxide detectors are required in every room used for sleeping or cooking.⁷

Inspection before the permit is issued

The city inspects the building before it issues the Certificate of Zoning Compliance, to confirm it matches the floor plan and the safety rules.^7,19

No events or gatherings

Events and gatherings of people other than the renters are prohibited; the owner's affidavit names parties, banquets, weddings, meetings and filming as barred uses.^7,15

No extra parking required

The city requires no additional parking for a short-term rental.⁷

Richmond business license required

Every accommodations provider needs a valid Richmond business license; new businesses obtain it within 30 days of opening, licenses expire each December 31, and the Certificate of Zoning Compliance comes first.^8,11

Median nightly rate, booked nights

$160

Taxes on that night (14%)

$22

Guest pays, before Airbnb and cleaning fees

$182

What the host still handles

• A City of Richmond business license from the Department of Finance (new businesses within 30 days of opening; licenses expire each December 31).
• A Richmond lodging tax account with the Department of Finance and a Virginia sales tax account with Virginia Tax for bookings made outside Airbnb, with monthly lodging tax returns due by the 20th.^{2,8,9,10,12,13,20}

• Operating without a permit or outside the rules is a zoning violation, a Class I misdemeanor with a fine of up to $2,500 and up to a year in jail.⁷
• A confirmed violation first brings a Violation Notice and Correction Order, and the owner is normally given 30 days to correct it before a summons can be issued.⁷
• The Zoning Administrator can revoke any short-term rental permit that no longer complies with the rules.¹⁵
• Lodging tax paid after the 20th of the month draws a penalty of 10% or $10, whichever is greater, plus 10% annual interest.⁸

1. August 17, 2026 Not in force
   Code Refresh draft zoning code keeps the short-term rental rules

   Draft Three of the city's zoning rewrite, released August 17, 2026, carries the same short-term rental conditions forward: eight adults, a 730-day certificate, a $600 fee for two years and the primary-residence rule in its RC, RD, RA and RM districts. City Council has not set a date to adopt the new code.^4,17

2. January 2025
   New RVA Business Portal for business licenses

   In January 2025 the Department of Finance launched the RVA Business Portal for filing business license applications and tax filings for the 2025 filing period.¹¹

3. State law bars special use permits for a host's primary residence

   Chapters 700 and 792 of the 2024 Acts of Assembly amended Virginia Code section 15.2-983 so that ordinances adopted after 2023 cannot require a special exception or special use permit for a home the owner lives in. Richmond issues its permit as a Certificate of Zoning Compliance.^1,7

4. September 25, 2023
   Ordinance 2023-235 revises the rules

   City Council adopted Ordinance No. 2023-235 on September 25, 2023, in force on adoption. The permit fee rose from $300 to $600 for a two-year term of 730 days, the cap went from ten to eight adults, the primary-residence rule was limited to residential districts, and multifamily buildings in other districts were capped at ten units or one-third.^3,7,14

5. City starts identifying listings with compliance software

   In 2021 the city began using Host Compliance software to identify short-term rentals operating in the city.¹⁴

6. July 1, 2020
   Richmond's short-term rental permit system starts

   City Council passed short-term rental regulations on June 22, 2020, effective July 1, 2020; hosts could then apply for a permit through the Online Permit Portal. Before then short-term rentals were not a permitted use in the zoning ordinance.^7,16

Estimate what a Richmond home could earn

1. 1. Code of Virginia section 15.2-983: Creation of registry for short-term rental of property · Virginia General Assembly (Legislative Information System)
2. 2. Code of Virginia section 58.1-3826: Scope of transient occupancy tax · Virginia General Assembly (Legislative Information System)
3. 3. Ordinance No. 2023-235 as amended September 11, 2023 (City Code sections 30-697.1, 30-697.2, 30-1020.4) · City of Richmond (Legistar)
4. 4. Richmond Zoning Code, Public Review Draft #3 (August 17, 2026), section 3.5.2.N Short-Term Rental · City of Richmond Planning and Development Review
5. 5. 16 CFR Part 464 - Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees · Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
6. 6. Richmond City Code Chapter 30, Article VI, Division 14 - Short-Term Rentals (sections 30-697 to 30-697.3) · City of Richmond (Municode Library)
7. 7. Short-Term Rentals · City of Richmond Planning and Development Review
8. 8. Transient Occupancy Short-Term Rental (S-TR) Tax · City of Richmond Department of Finance
9. 9. Transient Occupancy Tax · City of Richmond Department of Finance
10. 10. Tourism Improvement District (TID) Fee · City of Richmond Department of Finance
11. 11. Business, Professional, and Occupational License (BPOL) Tax · City of Richmond Department of Finance
12. 12. Retail Sales Tax on Accommodations · Virginia Department of Taxation
13. 13. Temporary Sales Tax Certificate/Return, form ST-50 (state, local and regional sales tax rates) · Virginia Department of Taxation
14. 14. Staff report on Ordinance No. 2023-235 (short-term rentals) · City of Richmond Planning and Development Review (Legistar)
15. 15. Short-Term Rental Permit: Owner's Affidavit (June 2024) · City of Richmond Planning and Development Review
16. 16. Short-term rental regulations to go into effect after extensive public input, best practices research · City of Richmond Mayor's Office
17. 17. Code Refresh · City of Richmond Planning and Development Review
18. 18. The Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees: Frequently Asked Questions · Federal Trade Commission
19. 19. Richmond, VA: hosting rules and steps · Airbnb Help Center
20. 20. Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in Virginia · Airbnb Help Center