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

Section 30-697.1(1) sets Richmond's core short-term rental occupancy cap: the number of short-term renters over 18 occupying or present in a short-term rental at one time cannot exceed the lesser of eight persons or whatever maximum the current Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code allows for that dwelling, so a smaller unit's building-code occupancy limit can push the cap below eight. Section 30-697.1(2) layers on an age requirement: an operator cannot rent to a group of renters unless at least one of them is 18 or older, closing off bookings made up entirely of minors.

Both rules sit within the short-term rental division, Article VI Division 14, which the Council enacted under Ordinance No. 2019-343 and substantially amended by Ordinance No. 2023-235 in September 2023. Section 30-1220 defines a 'short-term rental' as a room or group of rooms within a single dwelling unit rented to the traveling public for at least one but fewer than 30 consecutive nights, and defines the 'short-term rental operator' as the owner of the dwelling unit used as the rental. Before operating, the owner must obtain a certificate of zoning compliance, which under Section 30-1020.4(8) carries a $600.00 fee and, per Section 30-697.1(9), expires 730 days after issuance, with renewal applications accepted no more than 30 days before expiration.

Section 30-697.2 layers additional occupancy structure onto R-district rentals: the short-term rental must sit on the same lot as the operator's primary residence, verified against DMV or voter registration records, and only one short-term rental is permitted per lot in those districts. For multifamily buildings, Section 30-697.1(12) separately caps the number of units used as short-term rentals at the lesser of ten units or one-third of the building's total dwelling units.