Albemarle County, VA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)

Chapter 7, Article 6 of the County Code establishes the county's short-term rental registry. Section 7-601 defines "short-term rental" as the provision of a room or space suitable or intended for occupancy for dwelling, sleeping, or lodging purposes, for a period of fewer than 30 consecutive days, in exchange for a charge for the occupancy, and notes that a "homestay," separately defined and regulated in the Zoning Ordinance under Chapter 18, counts as a short-term rental. Section 7-602 sets the registration duty: each operator must register annually with the county's Department of Community Development, providing at least the operator's complete name and the address of each property in the county offered for short-term rental, and each registration is subject to a required fee set in County Code Chapter 1, Article 5, to cover the actual costs of establishing and maintaining the registry.

A narrow exemption exists under subsection (C) for operators who qualify for a state-law registration exemption. Section 7-604 puts the Department of Community Development in charge of administering the registry: receiving registrations, maintaining the registry, collecting fees, creating forms, and imposing penalties. An "operator" under § 7-601 includes an owner, lessee, sublessee, mortgagee in possession, licensee, or any other person in possession who offers the property as a short-term rental, so the registration duty follows whoever is actually renting the unit out, not just the titleholder.