Hanover County, VA Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- Response window
- 60 minutes, in person or by phone
- Contact info filed with
- Planning Director, before renting
- Applies to
- Owner-occupied and non-owner-occupied STRs alike
- Contact posted in rental
- Required under § 26-300.1(1)(i)(2)
- Penalty
- $200 first ticket, $500 each additional
Summary
Hanover County short-term rental owners must designate an adult who is reachable at all times a rental is occupied and who can respond, in person or by phone, within 60 minutes to resolve guest issues and complaints. The duty comes from Zoning Ordinance § 26-300.1(1)(c), outside the Town of Ashland.
(c)Resolution of issues and complaints. The property owner must respond to and resolve issues and complaints that arise in connection with the stay at any time. Prior to offering the property as a short-term rental, the property owner must provide, on a form provided by the planning director, the name and contact information of an adult who will be available at all times when the property is occupied as a short-term rental. The designated adult must respond, either in person at the property or by phone, within 60 minutes whenever necessary to resolve issues and complaints arising in connection with the short-term rental.
Full Breakdown
The rule does not require the owner to live on site full time; instead it requires a designated adult contact who is available whenever the property is occupied as a short-term rental. Before ever offering the property, the owner must give the Planning Director, on a form the department provides, the name and contact information of that designated adult. When an issue or complaint about the stay arises, whether from a neighbor, a guest, or county staff, the designated adult must respond within 60 minutes, either by appearing at the property in person or by phone, and resolve it.
1(2)(b), so a host who rents out a detached accessory unit while living elsewhere on the property carries the identical obligation as an absentee owner of a whole-house rental. 1(1)(i)(2), alongside the property address and emergency shut-off instructions, so guests and neighbors both have a way to reach someone quickly.
Violations & Fines
Failing to designate a responsive adult, or failing to respond within the 60-minute window, is enforceable as a Zoning Ordinance violation under §§ 26-347 and 26-348, carrying a $200 civil penalty for an initial ticket and $500 for each additional ticket from the same set of facts, with civil penalties capped at $5,000 before criminal misdemeanor exposure attaches under § 26-349.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an owner have to live at a Hanover County short-term rental?
Who does the designated contact respond to for a Hanover County short-term rental?
What happens if the designated contact for a Hanover County short-term rental doesn't respond in time?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hanover County
Compare Hanover County to another location·View the Virginia short-term rentals overview
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