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

The City of Fairfax does not permit dedicated short-term rentals; under the City's Zoning Division 'Rental and Shared Housing' guidance, any rental marketed through Airbnb or similar platforms must operate as a bed and breakfast (owner-occupied single-family home, stays of less than 14 consecutive days, on an arterial or collector street, not in a townhouse or apartment) and must obtain a Special Use Permit from City Council. Because the use is not a stand-alone STR, no STR-specific guest-parking rule exists in the City Code. The general on-street parking framework is in Chapter 98 (Traffic and Vehicles), Article IV (Stopping, Standing and Parking) of the City Code, with violations administered through the City Violations Bureau under §98-164. Off-street parking for the underlying residential use is set by the Zoning Ordinance schedule and depends on dwelling type. For a B&B Special Use Permit, the City Council customarily attaches site-specific parking conditions - such as a minimum number of off-street spaces dedicated to guests, a prohibition on guest parking on adjacent residential streets, and a cap on the number of guest rooms - tailored to the lot and the surrounding neighborhood. The City of Fairfax Police Department conducts evening parking enforcement in residential areas to deter overnight on-street parking by non-residents and may ticket and tow violators under Chapter 98. Recurring guest-parking complaints traced to a 30-day-or-less rental that lacks a B&B Special Use Permit are routinely used by Code Administration as evidence of the underlying Zoning Ordinance violation.