Fauquier County, VA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Fauquier County, VA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Registry required for
- Every STR operator outside incorporated towns
- Administered by
- Commissioner of the Revenue
- Registration frequency
- Annual
- Must include
- Operator contact info + property address
- Effective date
- July 1, 2024
Summary
Anyone who offers or uses a property in unincorporated Fauquier County as a short-term rental, a stay of fewer than thirty consecutive days, must annually register that property in the county's short-term residential rental registry maintained by the Commissioner of the Revenue under County Code § 8-238 before offering it to guests.
There is hereby established a short-term residential rental registry for operators with property offered or used as short-term residential rental within the county and outside of any incorporated towns within the county. An operator offering or using a property as a short-term residential rental shall annually register such property in the short-term residential rental registry maintained by the Fauquier County Commissioner of the Revenue.
Full Breakdown
Adopted by Ord. No. 24-03 on April 11, 2024 and effective July 1, 2024 (§ 8-243), Article XXIII of Chapter 8 requires every "operator" of a short-term residential rental in unincorporated Fauquier County, meaning outside Warrenton, The Plains, and Remington, to register with the Commissioner of the Revenue before offering a room, dwelling, or sleeping space for a stay under thirty consecutive days (§ 8-238). "Operator" reaches anyone in a possessory role over the property, whether owner, lessee, sub-lessee, mortgagee in possession, or licensee (§ 8-237).
Registration is annual and must include the operator's complete name and contact information, mailing address, phone numbers, email, and the address of every property offered as a short-term rental (§ 8-238), alongside a $50 per-property registration fee. Five categories of operators are exempt from the registration duty itself: Virginia-licensed real estate professionals, owners represented by one, Virginia Real Estate Time-Share Act registrants, persons registered with the Virginia Department of Health for lodging, and persons already licensed or registered with the county for rental or property management, including hotels, motels, campgrounds, and bed and breakfasts (§ 8-239).
Registering does not exempt an operator from complying with the county's separate zoning ordinance governing land use for short-term rentals, nor does it override recorded covenants, condominium instruments, or property owners' association declarations that may separately restrict rentals (§ 8-242).
Violations & Fines
An operator who offers or uses a property as a short-term rental without first registering it, after written notice from the Commissioner of the Revenue, is barred from continuing to offer or use the property until the required penalty is paid and the property is properly registered, and each day of continued unregistered use after notice is a separate offense (§ 8-240(a)).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do short-term rental hosts in Fauquier County need a permit?
What information must an STR operator submit to register?
Does registering satisfy zoning requirements for a short-term rental?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fauquier County
How Fauquier County compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Fauquier County to another location·View the Virginia short-term rentals overview
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