Fairfax County, VA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Fairfax County, VA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Ads
- Must show permit number
- Agent info
- Posted for guests
- Guest log
- Name, address, phone required
- Log access
- Available to county on request
Summary
Fairfax County requires short-term lodging operators to designate a contact agent, post that information for guests, keep a guest log, and list their permit number in every ad.
(d) Designate at least one person who consents to serve as an authorized agent for the short-term lodging operator. Contact information (name, address, telephone, and email address) for the authorized agent(s) must be provided on the application ... (e) All advertisements for short-term lodging ... must include the short-term lodging permit number ... (f) A short-term lodging operator must maintain a guest log including the name, address and telephone number of all overnight lodgers.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published.
Full Breakdown
Under Section 4102.7.O(3)(d), a short-term lodging operator must designate an authorized agent and provide that agent's name, address, phone number, and email on the permit application, post it where lodgers can see it, and include it in written material given to guests. Separately, subsection 4102.7.O(4)(e) requires every advertisement for the rental to display the short-term lodging permit number, and subsection (4)(f) requires the operator to keep a guest log with each overnight lodger's name, address, and phone number, available to county enforcement on request.
Violations & Fines
Advertising without the permit number, failing to post agent contact information, or not maintaining the guest log is a zoning infraction, punishable by a $200 civil penalty for a first offense and $500 for repeats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Fairfax County short-term rental ads need to show anything special?
Does a Fairfax County short-term rental host need to log guests?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fairfax County
How Fairfax County compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Fairfax County to another location·View the Virginia short-term rentals overview
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