Lynchburg, VA Short-Term Rentals: Repeat Violator Strikes (2026)

Lynchburg's short-term rental ordinance builds in a hard stop for chronic problem properties. Under Sec. 16(e), three violations of state or local laws, ordinances or regulations that are directly related to the short-term rental use of a property, occurring within any three-year period, end that property's authorization to be used or offered as a short-term rental. The rule counts violations tied specifically to the rental activity itself, which can include exceeding the four-unrelated-occupant cap in subsection (c), missing the annual registration in subsection (a), or falling out of compliance with the Uniform Statewide Building Code duty in subsection (d).

Before revoking approval, the Zoning Administrator must give the owner written notice describing the violations that form the basis for the revocation; the code does not allow the City to pull authorization silently. That notice must be delivered two ways: by posting a copy in a conspicuous place on the premises, and by first-class mail or e-mail sent to the addresses the owner supplied on the registration form. Because the registration form is the City's only official contact record, an owner who lets that information go stale under subsection (a) risks missing the notice that starts the revocation clock. The three-year window resets prospectively, so violations older than three years drop out of the count toward the next potential revocation.