York County, VA Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)

York County's zoning ordinance splits the residency rule by rental type. Under Sec. 24.1-409(d), a bed and breakfast located in a residential zoning district must be owned and operated by someone who actually lives on the property or on an adjacent parcel; that person has to be the operator or provider of the accommodations and services, not an absentee investor renting through a manager. Sec. 24.1-409(e) is more flexible for a tourist home: the owner can live in the home or next door, or can instead designate a responsible party, who may be the applicant.

That responsible party must be available to promptly respond to and resolve problems or complaints while guests are staying, and the owner has to give the Sheriff's Office that person's name, address, phone number, and email address, so deputies have someone to call if a rental party gets out of hand. These residency and contact requirements sit alongside the rest of Sec. 24.1-409's operating conditions: the owner still needs a York County business license and a transient occupancy tax account under subsection (i), plus, for STRs specifically, an Emergency Action Plan approved by the Fire Marshal, a fire extinguisher rated 2A10BC, interconnected smoke detectors meeting the 2012 Virginia Residential Code, and an annual fire inspection by the Department of Fire and Life Safety under subsection (h).

Because Sec. 24.1-409 uses are only authorized by special use permit, the Board of Supervisors can also confirm who the responsible party is at the time of approval.