Loudoun County, VA Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Commercial Whole House cap
- 10 guests, 5 rooms per parcel
- Residential Accessory (detached)
- 8 guests max per parcel
- Residential Accessory (attached/multifamily)
- 4 guests max per parcel
- Residential Accessory rooms
- 4 rooms max per parcel
- Septic-served parcels
- capped at Health Dept-approved capacity
- Enforced via
- condition of the Zoning Permit
Summary
In unincorporated Loudoun County, a Short-Term Rental, Commercial Whole House use caps overnight guests at 10 per parcel with 5 rentable guest rooms, while a Residential Accessory rental caps guests at 8 (single-family detached) or 4 (multifamily/attached) with 4 rentable rooms. Septic-served parcels face a lower Health Department-set ceiling.
Rental Capacity. The following capacity limits apply to a Short-Term Rental, Commercial Whole House use per night. Guest Rooms. The number of rooms used for overnight accommodations for guests must not exceed 5 per parcel if owned in fee simple or per ownership unit if under condominium ownership. ... Maximum Number of Guests... the total number of guests permitted per night must not exceed a maximum of 10 guests per parcel if owned in fee simple or per ownership unit if under condominium ownership. This requirement is not intended to limit the number of guests that may sleep in each room... Rental Capacity. The following capacity limits apply to a Short-Term Rental, Residential Accessory use per night. Guest Rooms. The number of rooms used for overnight accommodations for guests must not exceed 4 per parcel if owned in fee simple or per ownership unit if under condominium ownership. Single Family Detached Development... the total number of guests permitted per night must not exceed a maximum of 8 guests per parcel. Multifamily Dwelling Unit Development or Single-Family Attached Dwelling Unit Development... must not exceed a maximum of 4 guests per parcel.
Full Breakdown
b sets the Commercial Whole House ceiling: no more than 5 guest rooms and a maximum of 10 guests per night per parcel (or per condominium unit), a limit that does not restrict how many people sleep in each individual room or how many dwelling units on the parcel are used for the rental. b sets a separate, lower ceiling for a Residential Accessory rental, where the operator rents out only part of a home they still occupy: 4 guest rooms maximum, with a nightly guest cap of 8 for a single-family detached home or 4 for a multifamily or attached unit.
Both classifications drop to whatever lower number the property's individual sewage disposal system can handle, as certified by the Loudoun County Health Department, when the parcel is not on public sewer. 4, which requires the applicant to state the maximum rental capacity up front; exceeding it is a permit violation, not merely a registration lapse. The rule applies to the unincorporated county administered from the Loudoun County Department of Building and Development; the incorporated towns of Leesburg, Purcellville, Hamilton, Middleburg, Round Hill, Hillsboro, and Lovettsville set their own occupancy rules under their separate town codes.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 12's definition of a 'Short Term, Recurring Zoning Violation' expressly lists 'exceeding maximum occupancy limitations for residential dwelling units' as an example of the recurring-violation class the Zoning Administrator can cite day-by-day. Because the guest cap is a condition of the Zoning Permit itself, the County can revoke or decline to renew the permit in addition to issuing a zoning violation notice, and repeated documented over-occupancy at a registered rental can also trigger the separate Chapter 1470 registration penalties of $500 per violation up to $5,000 and a one-year rental prohibition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the 10-guest cap limit how many people can sleep in one bedroom?
Why is the cap lower if I rent a room in my own home instead of the whole house?
What happens if my septic system can't support the maximum guest count?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Loudoun County
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