Alexandria City, VA Short-Term Rentals: Parking Rules (2026)

Effective September 1, 2025, Ordinance No. 5575 imposes specific minimum off-street parking standards on permitted short-term residential rentals. Outside the city's Enhanced Transit Area (ETA), STRs must provide 0.75 parking spaces per bedroom; inside the ETA (corridors served by frequent transit, including portions of Old Town and the Metrorail station areas), the requirement drops to 0.25 spaces per bedroom. Calculations resulting in a fractional space of 0.5 or more round up to the next whole number. A three-bedroom STR outside the ETA therefore requires three spaces (3 x 0.75 = 2.25, rounded to 3 only if the fraction is 0.5+; in this case 2.25 rounds to 2). Operators may count up to two on-street parking spaces toward the requirement and may satisfy the balance through written off-site parking agreements at nearby properties, subject to approval by the Director of Planning & Zoning. Every permit application must include a parking plan showing the location and dimensions of each space. Alexandria's residential permit parking districts (RPP) and any HOA or condo parking restrictions remain in effect independently. Virginia Code §15.2-2280 confirms local zoning authority over off-street parking; Virginia has no statewide STR parking preemption.