Richmond's short-term rental ordinance generally restricts STR operation to the host's primary residence, limiting the rise of investor-owned ghost hotels and concentrating tourism rentals among owner-occupants.
Under RVA zoning Chapter 30 and Chapter 44, short-term rentals must operate from the operator's primary residence in most residential districts. Hosts must register annually with the City and prove primary occupancy, typically through voter registration, driver's license, or tax records. Non-owner-occupied investor units face additional zoning hurdles, special use permits, or are flat-out prohibited in many districts. Virginia §15.2-983 explicitly authorizes localities to require STR registration, providing the legal hook for Richmond's primary-residence framework. Operators caught violating face zoning enforcement and registration revocation.
Operating a non-primary-residence STR without proper zoning approval triggers civil penalties, registration denial or revocation, and zoning enforcement.
Richmond, VA
Richmond requires STR operators to obtain a Short-Term Rental Special Use Permit or Zoning Certificate under Ordinance 2020-046. Operators must live on the p...
Richmond, VA
All Richmond STRs must register annually with the Department of Planning and Development Review, post the permit number in all listings, and display a sign i...
See how Richmond's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
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