Richmond, VA Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)

Richmond regulates short-term rentals differently depending on the zoning district. 2 requires the short-term rental to sit on the same lot as the operator's primary residence. If the operator is a business entity rather than an individual, the primary-residence test shifts to whoever manages the entity's day-to-day operations, or to a trustee or beneficiary if the operator is a trust; that individual's primary residence must be on the same lot as the rental. 2 ties the determination to official government records, specifically Virginia DMV registration records or the Office of the Registrar of the City of Richmond, current as of the date the operator applies to run the short-term rental.

Only one short-term rental is permitted per lot, so an owner cannot stack multiple registered units on a single residential parcel even if all sit within an owner-occupied primary residence. 1, which caps occupancy at eight renters over 18, requires an operator letter and floor plan on file with the Zoning Administrator, and conditions operation on a certificate of zoning compliance that expires every 730 days. A companion section that once extended separate rules to short-term rentals in certain other zoning districts was repealed by Ord. No. 3 is now marked Reserved and no longer regulates any district.