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

Sec 10-41(6) makes short term tourist rentals a permitted use only with a zoning permit, subject to all applicable district regulations. Beyond the permit itself, the applicant must submit a property management plan to the Planning Department demonstrating how the rental will be managed and how impacts on neighboring properties will be minimized; the plan has to name local points of contact who can respond immediately to complaints, clean up garbage, and manage unruly tenants or utility issues, and a copy must be posted visibly inside the rental and provided as part of the rental contract, with contact numbers given to county staff and public safety officials.

If the property sits in a subdivision with a homeowners' or property owners' association, the Planning Department must receive a written recommendation of approval or disapproval from that HOA/POA before the permit issues. The owner must also submit an emergency evacuation plan covering the dwelling and neighborhood, and the rental must meet Virginia State Fire Prevention Code fire-safety requirements. Outside Blacksburg and Christiansburg, this permit and plan run through the county's Planning Department; both towns license short-term rentals separately under their own codes.