Newport News, VA Accessory Structures: ADU Rental Restrictions (2026)

1(12) and (13) close off the two workarounds a homeowner might try to turn an accessory dwelling unit into a de facto short-term rental. Subsection (12) sets a floor under any lease of an ADU: the term cannot run less than thirty consecutive days, and the lease must also comply with "all local rental regulations, including but not limited to occupancy limits, licensing, and inspections," meaning the standard rental housing rules elsewhere in the City Code still apply on top of the 30-day floor. 1.

That separate STR program, which requires an annual $150 certificate of zoning compliance, $300,000 in liability insurance and a guest log, applies only to the principal dwelling or, in multifamily developments, whole units held in common ownership; it does not extend to accessory dwelling units. Because these are zoning-ordinance standards, violations are handled through the zoning administrator's enforcement process under § 45-3501: a written notice of violation with a minimum three-day cure period, then a summons carrying a civil penalty of up to $200 for an initial violation and up to $500 for each additional one if the ADU keeps operating as a short-term rental.