10 rules for unincorporated Prince William County, Virginia.
Verified from official government sources
Prince William County, VA does not require a special short-term rental (STR) permit. Hotel, motel, short-term lodging and residential rental use is permitted by right in nearly all zoning districts, but a zoning-approved occupancy permit is required before a dwelling is occupied for rental, and the 8% transient occupancy tax
Short-term rental guests must comply with the county's decibel-based noise ordinance (PWC Code Ch. 14.1), which sets measurable sound limits by zoning district and time of day. There is no separate STR noise standard; the general ordinance applies to all occupants.
Prince William County levies an 8% Transient Occupancy Tax on lodging rented for fewer than 30 consecutive days, authorized by VA Code 58.1-3819. The 8% is split as 3% NVTA transportation, 2% county general, and 3% tourism.
VA Code 58.1-3819
Any county, by duly adopted ordinance, may levy a transient occupancy tax on hotels, motels, boarding houses, travel campgrounds, and other facilities offering guest rooms rented out for continuous occupancy for fewer than 30 consecutive days.
Prince William County has no STR-specific parking mandate. Off-street parking follows Chapter 32 (Zoning) residential standards, and guests must obey the county's on-street and inoperable-vehicle rules; HOA covenants often add stricter limits in subdivisions.
Prince William County sets no STR-specific guest cap. Occupancy is governed by the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and property maintenance code (room size, egress, septic capacity), and by zoning definitions such as "hotel," which references lodging for four or more persons.
Prince William County does not mandate short-term rental liability insurance. Hosts should carry commercial or STR-endorsed coverage voluntarily, since standard homeowner policies often exclude paid guest activity; platform coverage may be secondary only.
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.
VA 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.
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.
PWC 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.
Prince William County does not require the host to be present during a short-term rental stay. Unhosted, whole-home rentals are permitted where zoning allows lodging by right, subject to permitting and the transient occupancy tax.
Prince William County does not require a short-term rental to be the operator's primary residence. Whole-home and non-owner-occupied rentals are allowed where zoning permits lodging by right, subject to occupancy permitting and the transient occupancy tax.
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