Loudoun County, VA Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)

Loudoun County adopted comprehensive Short-Term Residential Rental (STRR) zoning regulations on April 19, 2023 (ZOAM-2021-0006), creating two STRR categories: Short-Term Rental-Residential Accessory (STR-RA, capped at 180 rental days per year) and Short-Term Rental-Commercial Whole House (STR-CWH). Rather than imposing a county-wide guest cap, the regulations rely on the underlying Zoning Ordinance and Building Code to control how many people may occupy the dwelling. Under the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance, a single-family dwelling may be occupied by a 'family' (defined as persons related by blood/marriage plus children, domestic servants, nurses, therapists, and no more than two roomers or boarders) or by no more than four unrelated persons. The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, which incorporates the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) Section 404, sets minimum sleeping-room floor area at 70 sq ft for one occupant and 50 additional sq ft per additional occupant (so 100 sq ft = 2, 150 sq ft = 3, 200 sq ft = 4). Loudoun County's STRR registration page explicitly states the operator must ensure that 'the total number of guests permitted per night does not exceed the maximum capacity of the individual sewage disposal system' for properties not on public sewer; this number is fixed by the original septic permit on file with the Loudoun County Health Department. Operators are required to register the rental annually by July 1 and obtain a zoning permit ($165) before listing.