Fauquier County, VA Short-Term Rentals: Taxes & Fees (2026)
Key Facts
- Registration fee
- $50 per property, annually
- Filed with
- Commissioner of the Revenue
- Coverage area
- Unincorporated county only
- Fee due
- At time of annual registration
- Late penalty
- Up to $500/violation, $1,500/year
- Effective date
- July 1, 2024 (Ord. No. 24-03)
Summary
Operators of short-term rentals in unincorporated Fauquier County pay a $50 annual registration fee to the Commissioner of Revenue for each property, on top of any applicable occupancy tax, when they file the county's required yearly short-term rental registry application.
A registration fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) for each property offered as a short-term residential rental property is due and payable to the commissioner of revenue each year at the time of annual registration.
Full Breakdown
In unincorporated Fauquier County, the Board of Supervisors created a short-term residential rental registry under County Code § 8-238, administered by the Commissioner of the Revenue. Any "operator" (owner, lessee, sub-lessee, mortgagee in possession, licensee, or other party in possession) who offers a room, dwelling, or sleeping space for a stay of fewer than thirty consecutive days must register that property annually and pay a $50 registration fee for each property, due each year at the time of registration (§ 8-238). Registration requires the operator's full name, mailing address, phone numbers, and email, plus the address of every property offered as a short-term rental (§ 8-238).
Certain operators are exempt from the registration duty and its fee, including Virginia-licensed real estate professionals, owners represented by one, timeshare registrants, and state-licensed lodging providers such as hotels, motels, campgrounds, and bed and breakfasts (§ 8-239). The fee is separate from the county's 2 percent transient occupancy tax levied under § 8-102 on the room charge paid by guests, which the operator or booking platform must collect and remit monthly to the Commissioner of the Revenue by the 20th of the following month (§§ 8-102, 8-106).
The registry ordinance, adopted by Ord. No. 24-03 on April 11, 2024, took effect July 1, 2024 (§ 8-243), and applies only outside Warrenton, The Plains, and Remington, which regulate their own short-term rentals.
Violations & Fines
An operator who offers or uses a property as a short-term rental without registering, after written notice, faces a $500 penalty per violation up to a $1,500 cap per calendar year, and cannot resume renting until the penalty is paid and the property is registered (§ 8-240(a)). The Commissioner of the Revenue may waive the penalty if the failure was through no fault of the operator.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is Fauquier County's short-term rental registration fee?
Is the $50 fee the same as the transient occupancy tax?
Who is exempt from the registration fee?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fauquier County
How Fauquier County compares: Cities with the Highest Short-Term Rental Taxes·Compare Fauquier County to another location·View the Virginia short-term rentals overview
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