Short-Term Rentals in Suffolk, VA (2026)
6 verified short-term rentals rules for Suffolk, Virginia, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Permit Requirements
Suffolk has no standalone short-term rental permit. Its zoning ordinance never lists a short-term rental use; transient lodging under 30 days is regulated as a Bed and Breakfast under UDO Section 31-703, which must be owner-occupied and needs a conditional use permit in most residential districts.
Suffolk STRs: No STR Permit, Regulated as Bed & Breakfast
Heavy RestrictionsSuffolk, VA, Unified Development Ordinance Sec. 31-703
The owner shall reside on the premises or adjacent premises. ... No long term rental of rooms shall be permitted. The maximum length of stay shall be thirty (30) days.
Noise Rules
Suffolk has no rental-specific noise rule. Guests follow the same Chapter 34 noise ordinance as residents: sound plainly audible across a property line or 50 feet away is a Class 2 misdemeanor, with amplified and vocal noise barred 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Suffolk Rental Noise: Same City Noise Ordinance Applies
Some RestrictionsSuffolk, VA, Code of Ordinances ch. 34, Sec. 34-189(1)
Operating, playing, or permitting the operation or playing of any radio, amplifier, television, record, tape or compact disc player, drum, musical instrument or similar device: In such manner or with such volume as to permit sound to be heard across a residential real property boundary.
Taxes & Fees
Suffolk levies an 8% transient occupancy tax plus a flat $1 per night on stays of 30 days or less, under City Code Section 82-517. It applies on top of Virginia's 6% sales tax on the room, and hosts remit monthly to the Commissioner of the Revenue.
Suffolk Lodging Tax: 8% Plus $1 Per Night on Rentals
Heavy RestrictionsSuffolk, VA, Code of Ordinances ch. 82, Sec. 82-517
There is imposed on each transient a tax equivalent to eight percent of the total amount paid for lodging by or for any such transient to any hotel, plus a flat rate tax of $1.00 for each night of lodging for any lodging place other than a campground.
Parking Rules
Suffolk sets no standalone short-term rental parking rule. Because transient lodging is regulated as a bed and breakfast, UDO Section 31-703(b) requires one off-street parking space per guest bedroom plus two spaces for the owner's dwelling.
Suffolk Rental Parking: One Space Per Guest Room, Plus Owner
Some RestrictionsSuffolk, VA, Unified Development Ordinance Sec. 31-703(b)
A minimum of one parking space shall be provided for each guest bedroom and two spaces for the owner's portion of the dwelling.
Occupancy Limits
Suffolk sets no guest headcount cap for short-term rentals. As a bed and breakfast, stays are capped at 30 days and all guest rooms must sit within the principal dwelling under UDO Section 31-703(e) and (f); building-code occupancy limits then apply.
Suffolk Rental Occupancy: 30-Day Cap, Rooms in Main House
Some RestrictionsSuffolk, VA, Unified Development Ordinance Sec. 31-703(e)
No long term rental of rooms shall be permitted. The maximum length of stay shall be thirty (30) days.
Insurance Requirements
Suffolk sets no short-term rental insurance requirement, and Virginia mandates none. The bed-and-breakfast rules in UDO Section 31-703 carry no coverage clause. Hosts should still carry liability insurance, since standard homeowner policies exclude commercial rental activity.