Abingdon, Virginia

Short-term rentals are legal in Abingdon under the town’s HomeStay ordinance (Zoning Ordinance Article VII), but they are tightly capped. Any residential room or space rented for fewer than 30 consecutive days counts as a HomeStay, and hosts must register with the Town’s Business, Planning and Zoning, and Building departments before operating or even advertising. Registration runs the calendar year and must be renewed annually by March 1. No registration fee is published in this data set.

The key constraint for investors is the day cap: a single registration allows a maximum of 90 rental days per calendar year, and no more than 30 of those days may be Type B rentals (host not present, or more than two bedrooms rented). The remaining up to 60 days are Type A, requiring the host to be present and no more than two bedrooms rented. In practice, this means a fully hosted-off, whole-house rental model is limited to just 30 nights per year within town limits.

Other operating rules include a 24-hour minimum stay, a cap of six guests per unit, and a requirement that the host be reachable by phone at all times during a rental. Guests pay a 7.00% town lodging tax, collected and remitted by the operator. Enforcement is rated moderate, with fines of $250 for a first violation and $500 for each subsequent violation, including operating without registration.

Note that properties in unincorporated Washington County, outside town limits, fall under separate county rules not covered by this town ordinance.