Rental Rules by City / Virginia / Williamsburg

    Williamsburg short-term rental rules & tax calculator

    Williamsburg (city) County, Virginia · Verified against official sources Oct 24, 2026

    📋 The Basics

    Can I rent my place short-term here?
    Only in some areas
    Do I need a permit?
    Only one room in your own home, by special exception.
    What taxes do I pay?
    Total about 14% plus $2.00 per night. Check your Airbnb payout report to see which ones Airbnb collects; you pay the rest yourself.

    Your 3 steps to be legal

    1. Apply to the BZA.
    2. Stay home during rentals.
    3. Keep under 104 nights.

    ⚠️ Biggest risk: Renting a whole house.

    Words confusing? See the glossary. Details and official sources are below.

    Tax calculator

    Rates used: Virginia sales tax (Historic Triangle) 7% + Williamsburg lodging tax 7% = 14%, plus $2.00 per night. Mandatory cleaning fees are included in the taxable total. 7% lodging tax plus $2 per room-night (not for 30+ night stays), plus 7% sales tax (Historic Triangle rate).

    What Airbnb collects: Verify in payouts which taxes your platform remits.

    This is the general rule for Williamsburg. Does your address qualify?

    The free info covers the city as a whole. Your property can still be different: zoning can change from one street to the next, and an HOA or condo ban can stop rentals even where the city allows them.

    Your $49 Compliance Check looks at your exact property:

    🔎 How we check: official city, county and state sources, a last-verified date on every page, and nothing guessed. Learn more

    Check my address: $49

    🔔 Stay notified: $4.99/month

    Rules don't change every week, but they do change, and nobody emails you when they do. We'll alert you when city rules, tourist taxes, HOA-related laws, or Airbnb/Vrbo policies change in Williamsburg. Cancel anytime.

    Stay notified

    Need guest waivers and booking tools too? Click here for more info

    Why use this instead of a web search?

    Instead of scattered, sometimes outdated pages, you get the city, county and state rules on one page, with official sources linked, a last-checked date, and unconfirmed items marked "verify" instead of guessed. How we verify →

    Advanced details (laws, fees, sources)

    Rules

    PermitVery limited: Board of Zoning Appeals special exception, owner-occupied single-family home, owner present, one room, two guests, 104 nights/year max.
    TaxRegister with the city; file monthly by the 20th; keep records 5 years.

    Items marked "Verify with the city" could not be confirmed from an official source; call the office listed before relying on them.

    Sources

    Free tools

    Free "Is my rental legal?" checklist · Free tourist tax calculator

    Rules can change

    Williamsburg's rules, its tax rates and platform policies can change through a council vote, a new state law or a court ruling, often with little notice to hosts. We re-check this page monthly; subscribers get notified. Stay Compliant for $4.99/mo.

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    Rules, tax rates and Airbnb/Vrbo policies can change without warning, and hosts who miss a change can be fined. Get alerts when your city, county or state changes, deadline reminders, a pending-bill watch list and a monthly host brief (even in quiet months: "we checked on [date]; no changes"). Compare plans.

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    Not legal or tax advice. Last verified Oct 24, 2026. Rules and rates change: confirm with the official sources linked before you rent or file.