Richmond allows ADUs to be rented long-term to a single household subject to the owner-occupancy of the other unit. Short-term rentals (under 30 days) require a separate STR permit and remittance of the city's transient occupancy tax. The Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Va. Code Β§55.1-1200) governs long-term leases statewide. Va. Code Β§15.2-2208 preempts municipal rent control.
Long-term rental of a Richmond ADU is permitted to a single household, subject to the city's owner-occupancy requirement (owner must occupy the other unit). Long-term tenancies (30+ days) are governed by the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (VRLTA), Va. Code Β§55.1-1200 et seq., which sets statewide rules on security deposits (capped at two months rent), notice periods (30 days for month-to-month termination, 5 days for nonpayment), maintenance obligations under Va. Code Β§55.1-1220, and eviction procedures through the General District Court under Va. Code Β§8.01-126. Short-term rentals (under 30 days) β Airbnb, Vrbo, and similar β require a Richmond Short-Term Rental permit under the Richmond Zoning Ordinance STR provisions and remittance of: (1) the Richmond transient occupancy/lodging tax under Richmond City Code Chapter 30 article on lodging tax (currently 8% city); (2) the 5.3 percent Virginia state sales tax on transient lodging where applicable; (3) Va. Code Β§58.1-3819 transient occupancy authorization. STR permits are typically annual and may include inspection and primary-residence verification. Rent control: Virginia preempts local rent control under Va. Code Β§15.2-2208 β Richmond cannot impose rent caps. The Virginia Fair Housing Law (Va. Code Β§36-96.1 et seq.) prohibits discrimination on the basis of source of income for landlords with 4+ units (since 2020), which can affect Section 8 voucher acceptance and may apply to ADU operators with portfolios.
Operating an unregistered STR: Notice of Violation from PDR, fines up to $1,000 per occurrence under Va. Code Β§15.2-2286, and listing-removal cooperation requests to Airbnb/Vrbo. Failure to remit transient occupancy tax: Richmond Department of Finance collection action plus state-level liability through Virginia Department of Taxation. VRLTA violations: tenant remedies through Richmond General District Court including damages, injunctive relief, and termination.
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See how Richmond's adu rental restrictions rules stack up against other locations.
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