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Short-Term Rentals in Loudoun County, VA (2026)

8 rules for unincorporated Loudoun County, Virginia.

Verified from official government sources

Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of Loudoun County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply: see the city list below.

Short-Term Rental Permits

Anyone renting a Loudoun County home outside the incorporated towns for stays under 30 days must annually register the property with the Department of Building and Development under County Code Chapter 1470. Registration requires the operator's name, mailing address, phone, email, and every rental address. The county charges no registration fee, but certain licensed operators are exempt.

Loudoun County STR Registration Rules

Some Restrictions

Loudoun County, VA, Codified Ordinances § 1470.02

There is hereby established a short-term residential rental registry for operators with property offered or used as short-term residential rental within the County and outside of any incorporated towns within the County. An operator offering or using a property as a short-term residential rental shall annually register such property in the short-term residential rental registry maintained by th...
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Short-Term Rental Parking Rules

A Loudoun County short-term rental must provide 1 off-street parking space beyond whatever the dwelling already requires under Section 7.06, on-street parking normally doesn't count, and the Zoning Administrator can only relax the requirement for documented lot-size, environmental, or accessibility constraints.

Loudoun County Short-Term Rental Parking Rule

Some Restrictions

Loudoun County, VA, Zoning Ordinance § 4.03.05.B.6 (Parking Requirement)

Parking Requirement. In addition to the off-street parking spaces required for the existing Dwelling Unit(s) and any other uses on the parcel pursuant to Section 7.06, 1 off-street parking space must be provided. The Zoning Administrator may modify the parking requirements of this section if the Operator can demonstrate that the requirements of this section cannot be met because of: The excepti...
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Occupancy Limits

In unincorporated Loudoun County, a Short-Term Rental, Commercial Whole House use caps overnight guests at 10 per parcel with 5 rentable guest rooms, while a Residential Accessory rental caps guests at 8 (single-family detached) or 4 (multifamily/attached) with 4 rentable rooms. Septic-served parcels face a lower Health Department-set ceiling.

Loudoun County Short-Term Rental Occupancy Caps

Some Restrictions

Loudoun County, VA, Zoning Ordinance §§ 4.03.05.B.3.b & 4.03.05.C.3.b (Rental Capacity)

Rental Capacity. The following capacity limits apply to a Short-Term Rental, Commercial Whole House use per night. Guest Rooms. The number of rooms used for overnight accommodations for guests must not exceed 5 per parcel if owned in fee simple or per ownership unit if under condominium ownership. ... Maximum Number of Guests... the total number of guests permitted per night must not exceed a m...
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Night Caps

A Short-Term Rental, Residential Accessory use in unincorporated Loudoun County, renting a room or portion of your home while you still live there, is capped at 180 days per calendar year; the whole-house commercial short-term rental has no such annual night cap.

Loudoun County Home-Share 180-Night Annual Cap

Some Restrictions

Loudoun County, VA, Zoning Ordinance § 4.03.05.C.3.c (Rental Period)

Rental Period. A Dwelling Unit, or portion thereof, only must be used as a Short-Term Rental, Residential Accessory use for a maximum of 180 days per calendar year.
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Host Presence Rule

To run a Short-Term Rental, Residential Accessory use, renting a room or part of your Loudoun County home, the operator must actually live in that dwelling at least 185 days out of the calendar year, a residency mandate with no exception carved out for Minor Special Exception relief.

Loudoun County Home-Share Owner-Residency Rule

Significant Restrictions

Loudoun County, VA, Zoning Ordinance § 4.03.05.C.3.g (Residency Requirement)

Residency Requirement. The Operator must occupy the dwelling unit the Short-Term Rental, Residential Accessory use is accessory to for a minimum of 185 days out of the calendar year.
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

In unincorporated Loudoun County, a Short-Term Rental, Residential Accessory operator must live in the rented dwelling at least 185 days a year. The rule is tied to the Zoning Permit and Chapter 1470 registration, not to whole-house commercial rentals, which follow separate standards.

Loudoun County STR Owner-Occupancy Rule

Some Restrictions

Loudoun County, VA, Zoning Ordinance § 4.03.05.C.3.g

Residency Requirement. The Operator must occupy the dwelling unit the Short-Term Rental, Residential Accessory use is accessory to for a minimum of 185 days out of the calendar year.
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Extended Home Share

A Loudoun County rental of 30 or more consecutive days falls outside the short-term rental definitions entirely: the Zoning Ordinance's Chapter 12 definitions only capture stays of 'fewer than 30 consecutive days,' so a month-plus lease skips the STR registration, permit, guest caps, and safety-inspection regime altogether.

Loudoun County Extended-Stay Rentals Not STR

Few Restrictions

Loudoun County, VA, Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 12: Definitions ('Short-Term Rental, Commercial Whole House' and 'Short-Term Rental, Residential Accessory')

Short-Term Rental, Commercial Whole House: The renting of a not otherwise occupied single-family detached dwelling unit or a not otherwise occupied accessory dwelling unit that is accessory to a principal single-family detached dwelling unit, in which the entire dwelling unit is used for providing overnight accommodations for a period of fewer than 30 consecutive days in exchange for a charge f...
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Repeat Violator Strikes

A Loudoun County short-term rental operator hit with two or more written violation notices for failing to register a property can be barred from re-registering that property for one calendar year under § 1470.04(b). More than three violations of any state or local law tied to the rental bars that property from short-term rental use entirely for a year under § 1470.04(c).

Loudoun County STR Repeat-Violation Ban

Significant Restrictions

Loudoun County, VA, Codified Ordinances § 1470.04(b)-(c)

(b) Upon written notice, of two or more violations of the registration requirement as it relates to a specific property, the operator of such property may be prohibited from registering said property and from offering or using such property as a short-term residential rental for one calendar year from the date of last notification of violation. Such prohibition may be rescinded for good cause b...
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

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