6 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Norfolk City, Virginia.
Verified from official government sources
Norfolk regulates short-term rentals through its Zoning Ordinance. Every rental needs a Zoning Permit (or a Conditional Use Permit) plus a Business License; Virginia Code §15.2-983 authorizes the rules.
Va. Code § 15.2-983
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, general or special, any locality may, by ordinance, establish a short-term rental registry and require operators within the locality to register annually.
Norfolk short-term rental guests must follow the Chapter 26 noise ordinance, and vacation-rental operators must keep interior decibel meters in main gathering rooms to catch excessive noise.
Norfolk Zoning Ordinance § 4.2.3.F(10)(e)
Interior decibel meters shall be maintained in the home's main congregation rooms to notify the operator upon detecting excessive noise levels.
A Norfolk short-term rental collects a 9% transient occupancy tax (8% city plus 1% state) and a flat $3 per bedroom per night, remitted monthly to the City Treasurer.
Norfolk City Code § 24-234
There is hereby levied and imposed, in addition to all other taxes and fees of every kind now imposed by law, on each transient obtaining lodging at any hotel or any short-term rental unit in the city, jointly and severally, a tax equivalent to eight (8) percent of the room charge plus a flat tax of three dollars ($3.00) per night of lodging for each bedroom.
Norfolk vacation rentals must provide off-street parking per the zoning table, and lacking the required spaces forces a Conditional Use Permit instead of a by-right zoning permit.
Norfolk Zoning Ordinance § 4.2.3.F(10)(e)
The operator shall provide identification of parking spaces as required in Section 5.1.7.D and Table 5.1.7(D), Minimum Number of Parking Spaces (for vacation rental).
Norfolk caps a vacation rental at two guests per bedroom, no more than ten guests total, in no more than five bedrooms. Homes with over five bedrooms cannot be vacation rentals.
Norfolk Zoning Ordinance § 4.2.3.F(10)(e)
The maximum occupancy for each dwelling unit is two (2) for each bedroom and a total of no more than ten (10) guests staying in no more than five (5) bedrooms at any one time. No dwelling with more than five (5) bedrooms may be used for short-term rental (Vacation Rental) use.
Unlike many Virginia localities, Norfolk mandates insurance: vacation-rental operators must show premises liability coverage for guest injury of at least $1,000,000 before operating.
Norfolk Zoning Ordinance § 4.2.3.F(10)(e)
The operator shall provide proof of premises liability insurance covering accidental injury to a guest on the property up to a maximum cost of not less than $1,000,000.
1 cities in Norfolk City have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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