Short-term rental permit rules in Fairfax, VA — also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration — list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Short-term rentals (Airbnb, VRBO) are effectively banned in the City of Fairfax. The only pathway is a City Council-approved Special Use Permit for a Bed & Breakfast, which requires owner-occupancy, a single-family home on an arterial/collector street, and rentals under 14 consecutive days.
Unlike Fairfax County (which permits STRs with a zoning permit), the City of Fairfax does not permit short-term lodging as a general accessory use. A Bed & Breakfast requires City Council Special Use Permit approval and must be in an owner-occupied single-family home on an arterial or collector street. Townhouses and apartments are ineligible. VA Code §15.2-983 allows—but does not require—localities to permit STRs. The city has chosen not to permit them outside the B&B framework.
Operating without a Special Use Permit constitutes a zoning violation.
Fairfax, VA
City of Fairfax Code Chapter 62 (Noise) establishes nighttime quiet hours from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM on weekdays and 11:00 PM to 8:00 AM on weekends and holida...
Fairfax, VA
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Fairfax, VA
Commercial establishments in the City of Fairfax must keep HVAC, loading, trash compaction, and amplified sound within limits set by Chapter 62 and the zonin...
Fairfax, VA
City of Fairfax prohibits using RVs or campers for habitation on public streets. VA Code §46.2-1222.1 authorizes Fairfax City to regulate or prohibit parking...
Fairfax, VA
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Fairfax, VA
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Fairfax County.
See how other cities in Fairfax County handle permit requirements.
See how Fairfax's permit requirements rules stack up against other locations.
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