Fairfax, VA Short-Term Rentals: Insurance Requirements (2026)

The City of Fairfax has no STR-specific insurance ordinance because the City does not authorize stand-alone short-term rentals. According to the City's Zoning Division 'Rental and Shared Housing' guidance, any rental marketed through Airbnb or similar platforms must comply with the City's bed and breakfast regulations, requiring a Special Use Permit approved by City Council, owner occupancy of a single-family home, stays of less than 14 consecutive days, and a location on an arterial or collector street; the use is not allowed in townhouses or apartments. At the state level, Va. Code §15.2-983 authorizes any locality to establish a short-term rental registry by ordinance and charge a reasonable registration fee, but the registration is expressly 'ministerial in nature' - it requires only the operator's name, the address of each rental property, and an attestation that the property owner has granted permission. The statute caps registry-related penalties at $500 per violation and does not authorize a locality to require liability insurance as a condition of registration. The City of Fairfax has not adopted a §15.2-983 STR registry ordinance, given that STR use is not allowed outside the B&B framework. Insurance is therefore governed by the operator's contracts and platform terms (e.g., Airbnb's AirCover host coverage and Vrbo's Liability Insurance) and any conditions City Council may attach to a B&B Special Use Permit. Separate from insurance, B&B operators must obtain a City of Fairfax Business License from the Commissioner of the Revenue under Chapter 14 of the City Code, collect and remit the City's 4% transient occupancy tax (plus the 3% Northern Virginia Transportation District transient occupancy tax) authorized under Va. Code §58.1-3819 and the City Charter, and - if the property is not owner-occupied - obtain a Rental Certificate of Compliance through the Office of Building Code Administration, which must be renewed every four years. The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (13VAC5-63) and the Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code (13VAC5-51) govern smoke-alarm, carbon-monoxide, and means-of-egress requirements that apply to all rental dwellings.