Can I buy a house in the Richmond area and rent it out on Airbnb?

Usually not as a pure investment. In Richmond city, Henrico County and Chesterfield County, short-term rentals in residential areas are tied to the owner’s own home. Richmond requires a short-term rental in a residential zoning district to be on the lot of the operator’s primary residence. Henrico allows them only in a dwelling occupied as a residence at least 185 days a year, and the county describes the permission as limited to the owner’s primary residence. Chesterfield’s zoning ordinance says the owner or operator must reside at the property. If your plan is to buy a second house in a neighborhood and run it as a full-time Airbnb, these rules generally won’t allow it.

You can often rent out part of the home you live in, or your whole home while you travel, if you follow your locality’s permit process. Here’s how each one works.

What counts as a short-term rental?

Under Virginia law, a short-term rental is a room or space rented for lodging for fewer than 30 consecutive days (Va. Code § 15.2-983). Rentals of 30 days or more, such as furnished stays for traveling nurses or relocating employees, are ordinary leases instead, generally governed by the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act and your locality’s normal rental rules.

Richmond city, Henrico and Chesterfield compared

	Richmond city	Henrico County	Chesterfield County
Residency rule	In residential zoning districts, must be on the lot of the operator’s primary residence	Home must be occupied by the resident at least 185 days a year	Owner/operator must reside at the property
Approval	Short-Term Rental Permit, renewed every two years	Registration; a conditional use permit for unhosted stays and other cases below	Conditional use in the zoning districts that allow it
Whole-home (unhosted) stays	Allowed; the operator doesn’t have to be on site	Requires a conditional use permit	Set by zoning approval
Guest limit	8 adults	6 renters by right; occupancy never more than twice the number of bedrooms	Set by zoning approval
Listed fee	$600 every two years	$200 registry; $300 conditional use application	Check with Planning

Sources: City of Richmond short-term rentals, Henrico short-term rental ordinance page and Sec. 24-4431 of the Henrico zoning ordinance, and Chesterfield zoning ordinance Sec. 19.2-32-40. All were checked November 11, 2026.

How do short-term rentals work in Richmond city?

Richmond revised its rules in Ordinance 2023-235, adopted September 25, 2023. The key points:

• Owner-operated, at your primary residence. The operator has to be the property owner. In a residential zoning district, the rental must be on the lot of the operator’s primary residence, based on Virginia DMV or Richmond voter registration records. Only one short-term rental is allowed per lot in residential districts.
• Whole-home stays are allowed. The city doesn’t distinguish hosted from unhosted stays, and doesn’t cap the number of nights.
• A permit, an inspection and your permit number on every ad. You apply through the city’s online permit portal with an owner affidavit, a floor plan and proof of residency, and the property is inspected before the permit is issued.
• Limits. Up to eight adults, no double booking, no events, and required smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and a fire extinguisher.
• Non-residential districts are different. In those districts, short-term rentals in a multifamily building are capped at 10 units or one-third of the units, whichever is less.

That last point matters if you’re looking at condos or apartments in mixed-use parts of the city. Check the property’s zoning on the city’s GIS map before you assume the residential rule applies.

How do short-term rentals work in Henrico?

Henrico’s rules, in Sec. 24-4431 of its zoning ordinance, are built around a hosted model:

• Principal residence required. Only a dwelling occupied by the resident at least 185 days a year can be offered, and the resident has to certify that on a county form before renting. The county’s summary page describes short-term rentals as allowed only in the owner’s primary residence.
• Allowed without a hearing if the owner stays at the property during the rental, guests stay in the main house (not a guesthouse), the lot has at least 80 feet of frontage on a public street, there are no more than six renters, and the total is 60 days a year or less.
• Conditional use permit from the Board of Zoning Appeals for anything else, including unhosted stays. According to the county, neighbors are notified and there’s a public hearing, and the board can approve, deny or add conditions.
• Other rules. Occupancy can’t exceed twice the number of bedrooms, one off-street parking space is required per guestroom, check-in and check-out services can’t be offered between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., commercial events such as parties, weddings and receptions are banned, and owners must keep rental records for two years.

How do short-term rentals work in Chesterfield?

Chesterfield adopted a rewritten zoning ordinance that took effect January 1, 2026. Section 19.2-32-40 designates short-term rental as a conditional use in the A, RC, SR, SC, SU, TR, UR, AR and MU districts, and, unless the Board of Supervisors sets different conditions, requires:

• the owner or operator to reside at the property,
• outdoor activity to be screened from view of neighboring property,
• parking on site, and
• a septic system sized for the number of guests where public sewer isn’t available.

One thing to ask about: a 2024 amendment to Va. Code § 15.2-983 says no local ordinance enacted after December 31, 2023, may require a special exception, special use or conditional use permit for a short-term rental in a dwelling the owner legally occupies as a primary residence. If you’re planning to rent part of a Chesterfield home you live in, ask the county’s Planning Department how it applies the ordinance in that situation before you apply.

Can your HOA or condo association still say no?

Yes. Even where zoning allows a short-term rental, Virginia’s short-term rental law says it doesn’t override recorded declarations, covenants or condominium instruments (§ 15.2-983(E)). Henrico’s own guidance makes the same point. Before you write an offer on a home you plan to rent, read the association’s declaration and rules, and ask for the resale certificate early. Our guide on buying a home in a Virginia HOA covers how to review those documents and your cancellation rights.

What I’d check before buying with rental income in mind

When I help buyers who are counting on rental income, I’d want these answered before the inspection period ends:

1. Which locality governs the property? A “Richmond” mailing address can be in Henrico or Chesterfield, with different rules. Confirm on the county or city parcel record.
2. What’s the zoning district? Rules can differ by district, especially in Richmond city.
3. Do the HOA or condo documents allow it?
4. Will you actually live there? If not, plan around 30-day-plus rentals or a traditional lease instead.
5. Do your lender and insurer know your plans? Ask how renting part of the home affects your loan terms and coverage.

Rules change. Treat this as a starting point and confirm with the locality before you rely on rental income. This article is general information, not legal advice.

What should you do next?

If rental flexibility is part of your plan, we can help you screen homes for locality, zoning and HOA rules before you make an offer. Daniel Keeton, Broker & Founder of Keeton & Co Real Estate, and our team work with buyers across Richmond, Henrico and Chesterfield. Start your home search, or contact our team to talk it through.