Hanover County, VA Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- Residency threshold
- 185 days per year, owner-occupied category
- Certification
- Filed with Planning Director before renting
- Proof accepted
- Driver's license, voter card, pay stub, W-2, bank statement
- Per-parcel limit
- 1 owner-occupied STR per GPIN/parcel
- Alternative
- Non-owner-occupied STRs need no residency, just registration
Summary
An owner-occupied short-term rental in Hanover County can only operate in a dwelling the owner actually occupies at least 185 days a year. Zoning Ordinance § 26-300.1(1)(a) requires the owner to certify that occupancy to the Planning Director and prove it with a driver's license, voter card, pay stub, W-2, or bank statement.
(a)Principal residence and ownership required. Only a dwelling that is occupied by the property owner for at least 185 days per year may be offered for short-term rental. Prior to offering any property as a short-term rental, the property owner must (1) certify, on a form provided by the Planning Director, that the property owner occupies the property for at least one hundred eighty-five (185) days per year and (2) provide documentation of principal residence in the form of a driver's license, voter registration card, pay stub, IRS W-2 form, or bank statement.
Full Breakdown
1(2)(k). Before ever offering a property under the owner-occupied category, the owner must certify on a Planning Director form that the property is occupied for at least 185 days a year and back that up with one of several accepted documents: a driver's license, voter registration card, pay stub, IRS W-2 form, or bank statement showing the address. The section also defines 'ownership' broadly for this purpose, covering property held individually or jointly with a spouse as tenants for life, held in a revocable inter vivos trust where the person or spouse holds the power of revocation, or held in an irrevocable trust where the person or spouse holds a life estate or continuing right of use.
A leasehold or term-of-years interest does not count as ownership unless the actual property owner has granted permission for short-term rental use, and any lessee or sublessee operating under that permission is limited to one short-term rental in the county. 1(1)(l).
Violations & Fines
Offering a property as an owner-occupied short-term rental without meeting the 185-day occupancy standard, or without filing the required certification and documentation, is a Zoning Ordinance violation under §§ 26-347 and 26-348: a $200 civil penalty for the initial ticket, $500 for each additional ticket from the same violation, capped at $5,000 before the county can escalate to a criminal misdemeanor under § 26-349.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days a year must an owner live in a Hanover County short-term rental?
Can I short-term rent a Hanover County house I don't live in?
How many owner-occupied short-term rentals can one Hanover County property have?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hanover County
Compare Hanover County to another location·View the Virginia short-term rentals overview
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