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Henrico County, VA Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Registration fee
$200 per year
Renewal cycle
Annual
Required info
Name, address, owner permission
First violation penalty
$500
Second violation
Permanent registration bar
Exempt
Licensed agents, hotels, B&Bs

Summary

Henrico County requires every short-term rental operator to register annually with the director of finance under County Code Sec. 20-280, listing the property address and paying a $200 fee before offering a home, room, or space for stays under 30 days.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Henrico County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

(a) There is hereby established a short-term rental registry in the county. Operators within the county are required to register annually with the director of the department of finance and provide the following: (1) The complete name of the operator; (2) The address of each property in the locality offered for short-term rental by the operator; and (3) An attestation that the property owner has granted permission for use of such property as a short-term rental if the operator is a lessee or sublessee. (b) The operator must pay a fee of $200.00 at the time of registration each year. Registrations are valid for one year from the date of registration. No operator may offer a property for short-term rental without a valid registration.

Full Breakdown

County Code Sec. 20-280 creates a countywide short-term rental registry that every operator, "whether in the capacity of owner, lessee, sublessee, mortgagee in possession, licensee, or any other possessory capacity," must join before renting out a room or property for fewer than 30 consecutive days. Registration is annual and requires the operator's full name, the address of each property offered as a short-term rental, and, if the operator is a lessee or sublessee, an attestation that the property owner has granted permission for short-term rental use.

00 due at the time of registration, and the registration lasts one year from the date issued. " Sec. 20-281 exempts a handful of operators from this specific registry, including real estate licensees and owners represented by one, timeshare operators registered under the Virginia Real Estate Time-Share Act, providers licensed by the state health department, and hotels, motels, campgrounds, and bed-and-breakfasts already licensed with the county. Everyone else, including a homeowner renting a spare room through an online platform, must register directly with the county's department of finance and renew every year; that annual renewal date also doubles as the deadline for the Sec. 20-276(d) attestation for hosts who book exclusively through a platform.

Violations & Fines

Operating without a valid registration carries a $500 penalty per violation under Sec. 20-282(a), and the property cannot be offered again until the operator pays the penalty and completes registration. A second violation tied to that same property triggers an outright bar: the operator is prohibited from ever registering or offering that specific property as a short-term rental again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to register my Henrico short-term rental every year?
Yes. Sec. 20-280 registrations expire one year from the date issued, so every operator must renew annually with the county director of finance and pay the $200 fee again to keep operating legally.
Is anyone exempt from the Henrico short-term rental registry?
Yes. Sec. 20-281 exempts operators represented by a licensed real estate professional, Virginia timeshare operators, state-licensed lodging providers, and hotels, motels, campgrounds, and bed-and-breakfasts already licensed with the county.
What happens if I rent my property short-term without registering?
Sec. 20-282(a) imposes a $500 penalty for each violation, and you cannot legally offer the property again until you pay the penalty and complete registration.
Can Henrico permanently bar my property from short-term rental?
Yes. A second violation of the registration requirement on the same property under Sec. 20-282(a) permanently prohibits that specific property from ever being registered or offered as a short-term rental again.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Henrico County

All Henrico County rules

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