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Short-term rental rules

How to get a short-term rental approved in Fauquier County, Virginia

Fauquier County has two short-term rental paths. If you live on the property at least 183 days a year, you can usually get a $165 Administrative Permit from the Zoning Administrator in about 30 days. Every other short-term rental, including every investment home, needs a $1,100 Special Permit approved by the Board of Supervisors after a Planning Commission hearing. Either way you register with the county each year and collect a 2% lodging tax.

Verified against the sources below on 2026-09-23.

Approval
Two paths
Permit fees
$165, or $1,100
Public hearings
0 to 2, by path
Lodging tax
2%
Request a feasibility checkDownload the brochure (PDF)

Which permit you need

Administrative Permit2,1,7,3

The operator lives on the property at least 183 days a year and is on site during rentals (or names a manager living within 2 miles), and the home meets every standard.

Fee:
$165, then $82.50 a year
Decided by:
Zoning Administrator
Public hearings:
0
Timeline:
Decision within 30 days of a complete submission.

Special Permit2,3,7,8

Everyone else, including every investment or second home, more than one rental on a lot, or a home that misses any administrative standard.

Fee:
$1,100
Decided by:
Board of Supervisors, after a Planning Commission recommendation
Public hearings:
2
Timeline:
Required pre-application meeting; file 35 days before the Planning Commission (third Thursday); Board of Supervisors (second Thursday) usually the next month. Plan on three to four months.

How the process works

  1. STEP 1

    Feasibility check

    Zoning, whether the operator lives on the property, road access, the septic guest limit, parking, and bedroom escape windows. That decides which permit you need before you pay the county.

  2. STEP 2

    Application

    Property management plan, floor and evacuation plans, Health Department records, and the county registry. A Special Permit adds a pre-application meeting, a plat, a statement of justification, and a traffic assessment.

  3. STEP 3

    Decision

    Administrative Permit: the Zoning Administrator decides within 30 days. Special Permit: Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors public hearings, with signs posted on the property 15 days before the first one.

  4. STEP 4

    Launch

    Life-safety equipment installed, the management plan posted in the home, and the 2% lodging tax account open.

The rules

What counts
Renting a dwelling, room, or space in a single-family home or accessory dwelling for fewer than 30 consecutive days.6
Where it is allowed
RC, RA, RR-2, R-1, Village (V), Commercial-Village (CV), and C-1 zoning.4
Guest limit
Set by the Health Department septic permit and the occupancy permit. Never more than 10 guests in a home, or 3 in an accessory dwelling.2
Road access
A public street. A private road or shared driveway must meet fire-truck access standards, and every user gets certified-mail notice with 30 days to comment. One written objection moves the rental to a Special Permit.2
Parking
On site, on a built driveway or parking area: one space per rentable room.2
Life safety
A code-sized escape window in every bedroom, smoke detectors on every floor and in every bedroom, carbon monoxide detectors where required, and an extinguisher in every kitchen, before the first rental.2
Management plan
911 address, local contacts, Sheriff, nearest fire station and hospital, utilities, the noise rules, floor and evacuation plans, trash and parking plans, the guest limit, and a copy of the ad. Posted in the home, given with the rental contract, and updated yearly.2
Guest prohibitions
No meals served; no events such as weddings, showers, reunions, or live music; no shooting; no fireworks.2
County registry
Register every short-term rental outside the incorporated towns with the Commissioner of the Revenue each year: $50 per property.10
Renewal and complaints
Permits run one year. More than two substantiated complaints in a year can revoke the permit, with a 12-month wait to reapply.2
Taxes owed
Delinquent real estate taxes or county liens must be paid before a Special Permit is issued.5

Lodging taxes

TaxRateFiled withWhenAirbnb and VRBO collect it?
Fauquier County transient occupancy tax9,11Outside any town that levies its own lodging tax (Warrenton does)2%Commissioner of the RevenueMonthly, by the 20th, with a 10% late fee.Yes, on their bookings

What sinks applications here

Escape windows

Every bedroom needs a code-sized egress window, and older farmhouses often fail.

Shared driveways

A private road that fails fire standards, or one neighbor's written objection, forces a Special Permit.

Event marketing

Weddings, parties, and other gatherings are prohibited, and listing photos that promote them draw complaints.

Earn while you wait

Stays of 30 consecutive days or more: Not short-term rentals under the zoning ordinance, so no permit is needed.6 A furnished mid-term lease can carry the home while the permit is pending. How mid-term rentals work.

Investment homes: Special Permit packages

Coached

$2,500

You file. We make sure it is right the first time.

  • Feasibility check before you pay the county fee
  • Filing calendar and pre-application meeting preparation
  • Our justification statement and property management plan templates
  • Plat and parking layout guidance
  • One full review of your packet before you file
  • Hearing preparation call
  • Launch checklist for tax registration and life safety
Sign up

Done for You

$5,000

We handle the whole process, start to finish.

  • Feasibility check before you pay the county fee
  • We attend the pre-application meeting with county staff
  • We write the justification statement and property management plan
  • We prepare the floor plan, evacuation plan, and plat sketch
  • We obtain the Health Department occupancy records
  • We file the application, answer staff questions, and post the hearing signs
  • We prepare for and attend both public hearings
  • We register the rental and the lodging tax account
Sign up

The county's $1,100 Special Permit fee, surveys, retrofits, septic work, and life-safety equipment are billed separately at cost.

Owner-occupied homes: Administrative Permit packages

Administrative Coached

$750

For owners who live on the property and want to file themselves.

  • Feasibility check confirming you qualify for the Administrative Permit
  • Property management plan prefilled with local emergency and utility contacts
  • Floor plan and evacuation plan guidance
  • Neighbor notice letter template for a private road or shared driveway
  • One full review of your packet before you file
Sign up

Administrative Done for You

$1,500

We prepare the whole packet; you sign it.

  • Feasibility check confirming you qualify for the Administrative Permit
  • We write the property management plan, floor plan, and evacuation plan
  • We obtain the Health Department occupancy records
  • We send the certified-mail neighbor notices when required
  • We register the rental and the lodging tax account
  • Life-safety walkthrough and install list
Sign up

For operators who live on the property at least 183 days a year. The county's $165 permit fee and $50 registry fee are billed at cost.

Management pricing

Short-term (under 30 days)

20%

Of nightly accommodation revenue. Guest cleaning fees are not included in the fee. Sign up online

Mid-term (30 days or more)

15%

Of rent collected, including stays while your permit is pending. Mid-term rentals

Long-term (12-month leases)

7% to 10%

Of rent collected: 10% for one to four doors, down to 7% at twenty-five or more. Long-term rentals

Towns with their own rules

Inside these town limits, the town’s rules replace the county’s.

Questions owners ask

  1. 01I do not live in the home. Can I still get an Administrative Permit?

    No. The Administrative Permit requires the operator to live on the property at least 183 days a year. An investment home goes through the Special Permit process.

  2. 02Does this apply inside Warrenton?

    No. The Towns of Warrenton, Remington, and The Plains have their own zoning. The county registry and, where a town levies its own lodging tax, the county's 2% do not apply inside town limits.

Sources

  1. 1.Fauquier County Short Term Rentals. Retrieved 2026-09-23.
  2. 2.Fauquier County Zoning Ordinance, Additional Standards for Short Term Rentals, 5-303 (Article 5 as updated 5-14-2026). Retrieved 2026-09-23.
  3. 3.Fauquier County Zoning Ordinance, Article 5 procedure, 5-009, 5-011.1. Retrieved 2026-09-23.
  4. 4.Fauquier County Zoning Ordinance, Article 3 use table, 3-303. Retrieved 2026-09-23.
  5. 5.Fauquier County Zoning Ordinance, Article 13, 13-108. Retrieved 2026-09-23.
  6. 6.Fauquier County Zoning Ordinance, Article 15 definitions, Short Term Rental. Retrieved 2026-09-23.
  7. 7.Fauquier County Land Development Fee Schedule (Effective 9-10-2026; 10% technology surcharge). Retrieved 2026-09-23.
  8. 8.Fauquier County Special Permit Application Process. Retrieved 2026-09-23.
  9. 9.Fauquier County Code, Transient Occupancy Tax, 8-101 to 8-106 (Ord. 25-04, 7-10-2025). Retrieved 2026-09-23.
  10. 10.Fauquier County Code, Short-Term Rental Registry, 8-238 (Ord. 24-03, effective 7-1-2024). Retrieved 2026-09-23.
  11. 11.Fauquier County Commissioner of the Revenue FAQ. Retrieved 2026-09-23.

Local rules change. We recheck these sources on a schedule and before every filing; if you spot a change, tell us at info@propmanageplus.com. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Questions about a property in Fauquier County? Call 540-218-8969 or send us the address.