Loudoun County, VA Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum owner residency
- 185 days per calendar year
- Applies to
- Residential Accessory STR only
- Waivable by Minor Special Exception?
- no
- Also fixed in
- Chapter 12 use definition
- Non-compliance risk
- treated as unpermitted Whole House use
Summary
To run a Short-Term Rental, Residential Accessory use, renting a room or part of your Loudoun County home, the operator must actually live in that dwelling at least 185 days out of the calendar year, a residency mandate with no exception carved out for Minor Special Exception relief.
Residency Requirement. The Operator must occupy the dwelling unit the Short-Term Rental, Residential Accessory use is accessory to for a minimum of 185 days out of the calendar year.
Full Breakdown
' The Chapter 12 definition of 'Short-Term Rental, Residential Accessory' repeats the same figure, describing the use as one where 'the Operator must occupy the dwelling unit that the Short-Term Rental, Residential Accessory use is accessory to for a minimum of 185 days out of the calendar year,' confirming the requirement is baked into the use's legal definition, not just an operating condition layered on top of it. The Zoning Permit application itself requires 'the name and contact information of the Operator,' and the Zoning Administrator is authorized to inspect the property before approval, giving the County a mechanism to verify who is actually living there.
Violations & Fines
Section 4.03.05.C.1 lists the residency requirement in Section 4.03.05.C.3.g among the provisions that 'cannot be modified by Minor Special Exception,' so an operator who does not actually occupy the dwelling for the required 185 days is operating outside the Residential Accessory use entirely: the Zoning Administrator can treat the property as an unpermitted Commercial Whole House rental instead, requiring the higher-tier permit and its own permit conditions, or cite it as an unpermitted use under Section 4.03.05.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days a year must I actually live in my Loudoun County home to rent out a room?
Can the County waive the residency requirement if I travel frequently for work?
What happens if I don't actually live in the home I'm renting a room in?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Loudoun County
Compare Loudoun County to another location·View the Virginia short-term rentals overview
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