Virginia Beach limits whole-home short-term rentals to specific areas, mainly Sandbridge and the Oceanfront overlay district, plus homes grandfathered under earlier rules. Inside those areas the city requires a zoning permit, safety inspections and real insurance, and it recently made violations a criminal matter again. Know your property's status before you hire anyone.
As of 2026, any property in the Sandbridge Special Service District can be a short-term rental with a zoning permit and Commissioner of the Revenue registration. In the Oceanfront Resort STR Overlay District, new operators need a conditional use permit first, renewed every five years. Elsewhere, only grandfathered properties qualify, generally those registered before July 1, 2018, or approved before September 7, 2021. The city lists a $500 annual zoning permit, $1 million in liability insurance, one off-street parking space per bedroom, a life safety inspection and a structural safety report every three years. Home shares, where you rent rooms in the home you live in, skip the zoning permit but still register with the Commissioner of the Revenue. In October 2025, City Council reinstated misdemeanor penalties for violations, with fines reported from $1,000 upward.
Taxes are set by the Commissioner of the Revenue: 15% of gross rent outside Sandbridge (9% city plus 6% state sales tax) and 16.5% in Sandbridge (10.5% city plus 6% state), plus a $2 per night flat fee. Gross rent includes cleaning and other guest fees. Returns are due by the 20th of each month. Virginia requires accommodations intermediaries such as Airbnb to collect, but the city tells providers to compare what the platform remitted with what is owed and contact the office about any gap.
We did not find a published Virginia Beach price survey, so get at least two written quotes. Sandbridge homes are often large, rented by the week, and turn on the same changeover day, which puts pressure on cleaning crews and can raise prices. Sand, outdoor showers, decks and beach gear add time, as does keeping smoke detectors and safety items ready for inspections.
Summer, roughly Memorial Day through Labor Day, is peak, and weekly bookings dominate in Sandbridge. Spring and fall shoulder seasons bring weekend traffic and events like the Neptune Festival in late September. Winter is slow, which is the best time to schedule deep cleans, inspections and repairs before permit renewal.
No. As of 2026, new whole-home rentals are limited to Sandbridge and the Oceanfront overlay (with a conditional use permit). Other areas allow only grandfathered properties or home shares.
Sandbridge carries a higher city lodging rate, 10.5% versus 9% elsewhere, to fund its special service district.
Yes. The Commissioner of the Revenue includes cleaning and other guest fees in gross rental.
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