Short-Term Rentals in Alexandria, VA

If you live in Alexandria or are thinking about moving there, short-term rentals are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Alexandria has 5 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of short-term rentals, and some of them might surprise you.

Short-Term Rental Permits

Alexandria Ordinance No. 5575 (effective September 1, 2025) requires a Short-Term Residential Rental Permit for any property rented more than 10 days per calendar year. STR hosts must provide a Good Neighbor Guide and maintain a one-hour response window for violations.

Key details: Effective: September 1, 2025. Authority: Ordinance 5575. Trigger: >10 days/year. Response Time: 1 hour required.

Operating without a permit when over the 10-day threshold violates Ordinance 5575 and is enforced by the City through Code Enforcement, with penalties scaled to severity and frequency.

Short-Term Rental Parking Rules

Alexandria STR operators must supply 0.75 parking spaces per bedroom outside the enhanced transit area, or 0.25 per bedroom inside it. Up to two on-street spaces or on-street visitor permits can count toward that minimum under Zoning Ordinance Sec. 7-1403(C).

Key details: Outside enhanced transit area: 0.75 spaces per bedroom. Inside enhanced transit area: 0.25 spaces per bedroom. On-street spaces countable: Up to 2 spaces. Off-site parking allowed: Within 500 linear feet. Visitor permit authority: City Code Sec. 5-8-77.

A parking shortfall discovered after permit issuance is treated as a permit-condition violation subject to the same complaint process as occupancy and noise: unresolved violations can draw civil penalties, and accumulating three violations of the same city law or five violations of separate city laws within a permit year is grounds for the director to revoke or deny the STR permit under Sec. 7-1404(D)(1). Operating without ever obtaining the required permit, which includes the parking showing, is itself a civil citation under Sec. 11-200.

Occupancy Limits

Alexandria caps overnight headcount in every short-term rental at two people per legal bedroom plus two more, not counting kids three and under. A five-plus bedroom rental tops out at ten guests, and an accessory dwelling used as an STR is capped at three, per Zoning Ordinance Sec. 7-1403(A).

Key details: Base limit: 2 people/bedroom + 2 more. 5+ bedroom cap: 10 occupants max. Accessory dwelling cap: 3 occupants max. Excluded from count: Children age 3 and under. Response time on complaint: 1 hour.

Occupancy overages are treated as complaint-driven violations: under Sec. 7-1403(H)(1), an operator or registered local agent must take corrective action on a reported occupancy, party, or noise violation within one hour of city notification, or the operator can be held liable for failure to act, which may include civil penalties. Under Sec. 7-1404(D)(1), three or more violations of the same city law, or five or more violations of separate city laws, within one permit year are grounds to revoke or deny the STR permit outright.

Noise Rules

Alexandria short-term rental operators and guests must follow the city noise code and post a written quiet-hours notice: no shouting, loud music, barking dogs, or dragging furniture between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., under Zoning Ordinance Sec. 7-1403(D) and (G).

Key details: Quiet hours: 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. daily. Governing noise code: City Code title 11, ch. 5. Event hours (non-residential zones): 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun-Thu. Weekend event hours: 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Fri-Sat. Event loading/unloading ban: 11 p.m.-7 a.m..

Noise complaints fall under the same one-hour clock as occupancy violations: Sec. 7-1403(H)(1) requires the operator or registered local agent to address a reported noise violation within one hour of city notification, and failure to act can expose the operator to civil penalties. Accumulating three or more violations of the same city law, or five or more of separate laws, within a permit year is grounds for the city to revoke or deny the STR permit under Sec. 7-1404(D)(1).

Repeat Violator Strikes

Two or more permit-requirement violations bar an Alexandria short-term rental property from reapplying for a year. Three violations of the same city law, or five of separate laws, in a permit year is grounds to revoke or deny the STR permit, under Zoning Ordinance Sec. 7-1404(C)-(D).

Key details: Reapplication bar trigger: 2+ permit-requirement violations. Length of reapplication bar: 1 year. Revocation trigger, same law: 3+ violations in permit year. Revocation trigger, separate laws: 5+ violations in permit year. Standard revocation notice: 30 days.

Operating without ever obtaining a permit draws a civil citation under Sec. 11-200; a second such citation triggers a one-year bar on reapplying for that property under Sec. 7-1404(C). A permitted operator faces revocation or non-renewal after three violations of the same law or five violations of separate laws within one permit year under Sec. 7-1404(D)(1), or immediate revocation without the standard 30-day notice if a violation endangers occupant or neighbor safety under Sec. 7-1404(D)(2).

This is one of the stricter rules in Alexandria's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

The Bottom Line

Alexandria's short-term rentals rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Alexandria is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Alexandria can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.