Short-Term Rentals in Prince William County, VA (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Prince William County, Virginia.
Verified from official government sources
Short-Term Rental Permits
There is no separate short-term rental registry, but every business offering lodging for 30 days or less must register with Prince William County Tax Administration to collect and remit the transient occupancy tax. County Code Sec. 26-121 defines the lodging and transient covered.
Registering a Short-Term Rental in Prince William County
Some RestrictionsPWC Code Sec. 26-121
A transient is any person who, for any period of not more than 29 consecutive days, either at his own expense or at the expense of another, obtains lodging or the use of any space in any hotel or travel campground, for which lodging or use of space a charge is made.
Taxes & Fees
Airbnb, VRBO, and other short-term rental bookings in Prince William County owe the same 5 percent transient occupancy tax as a hotel room, under Sec. 26-122. When a booking platform (an 'accommodations intermediary') facilitates the stay, Sec. 26-124(c) makes the platform, not the host, responsible for collecting and remitting the tax computed on the full room charge.
Prince William County Short-Term Rental Occupancy Tax
Some RestrictionsPWC Code § 26-124(c)
For any retail sale of accommodations facilitated by an accommodations intermediary, the accommodations intermediary shall be deemed under this article as a facility making a retail sale of an accommodation. The accommodations intermediary shall collect the tax imposed pursuant to this article, computed on the room charge, and shall remit the same to the county and shall be liable for the same....
Night Caps
Prince William County sets no annual cap on the number of nights a property may be short-term rented. The transient occupancy tax simply applies to any stay of fewer than 30 consecutive days, with no maximum booking count.
Short-Term Rental Night Caps in Prince William County
Some RestrictionsVA Code 58.1-3819
The tax imposed hereunder shall not apply to rooms or spaces rented and continuously occupied by the same individual or same group of individuals for 30 or more days.
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