Charlottesville, Virginia Short-Term Rental Market
Charlottesville requires owner occupancy for rentals; the region posted $268 ADR, 49.2% occupancy and $3,590 revenue in September 2026.
Quick Answer: Charlottesville, Virginia is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Charlottesville market area is 49%. average monthly revenue in the Charlottesville market area is $3,590. average daily rate in the Charlottesville market area is $268. the top operator in the Charlottesville market area is Wintergreen Resort with 219 listings. market score is 92/100 (grade A).
Market data reflects the wider Charlottesville market, which covers 10 areas. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Charlottesville.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Charlottesville is a Central Virginia city of 44,388 residents that draws history, wine, and university tourism. Performance figures on this page reflect the Charlottesville and Blue Ridge area STR market, a regional series shared with Afton, Nellysford, and Roseland, so the numbers describe the wider area rather than the city alone. The latest data month is September 2026. In September 2026 the average daily rate across all listings was $268, occupancy was 49.2%, and average monthly revenue per listing was $3,590. Entire-home listings averaged $279 per night, and houses earned $4,233 in the month versus $2,284 for apartments. Compared with a year earlier, occupancy is up 6.3%, ADR is up 5.9%, and revenue is up 16.0%, so the market is gaining on both rate and utilization. Over a longer view, annual occupancy peaked at 60.7% in 2021 and has held between 47.4% and 49.8% from 2023 through 2025. ADR has climbed from $191 in 2017 to $254 in 2025, and 2026 year to date sits at $268 with 46.9% occupancy and $3,497 in average monthly revenue across nine months. Demand has a strong local base. Direct visitor spending in the Charlottesville and Albemarle region reached $989.8 million in 2024 and supported 7,172 jobs, with the City of Charlottesville accounting for $402.6 million. Lodging spending across the region totaled about $214.8 million. Visitors come for Monticello, the University of Virginia, the Historic Downtown Mall, the Monticello Wine Trail with 30+ wineries, and Shenandoah National Park. Bedroom, channel, and listing-type counts and top operator names are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Charlottesville, so this profile omits them. Investors should note that Charlottesville city rules require owner occupancy, covered in the regulatory section below.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 43% |
| Feb | 48% |
| Mar | 43% |
| Apr | 51% |
| May | 51% |
| Jun | 51% |
| Jul | 56% |
| Aug | 56% |
| Sep | 51% |
| Oct | 58% |
| Nov | 49% |
| Dec | 44% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Charlottesville are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Charlottesville market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Charlottesville market as a whole, which includes Charlottesville, so these counts are not Charlottesville-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wintergreen Resort | 219 | 187 | ★ 4.62 |
| 2 | Evolve | 90 | 5,297 | ★ 4.80 |
| 3 | Be Still Getaways | 76 | 2,924 | ★ 4.88 |
| 4 | Lydia Mountain Lodge and Log Cabin | 63 | 1,406 | ★ 4.76 |
| 5 | Guesthouses | 58 | 2,507 | ★ 4.89 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Charlottesville?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Charlottesville are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 45.3% |
| vrbo | 6.3% |
| both | 48.4% |
Home Value Trends (Charlottesville)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Charlottesville are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Charlottesville — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Charlottesville allows short-term rentals (stays under 30 days) only through its Homestay framework, and the defining rule is owner occupancy. The property owner must occupy the dwelling as a permanent residence at least 185 days per calendar year, which effectively bars non-owner-occupied investment STRs inside the city. Operators need an annual Homestay Accessory Use Permit through the City’s Permit Portal at a cost of $100, with proof of ownership and permanent residence such as a government ID or voter registration. Permits are valid through December 31 and must be renewed annually, and beginning in 2026 permits must be approved by March 1. Homestays are permitted as an accessory use in the R-A, RN-A, R-B, R-C, RX-3, and RX-5 residential districts. Up to six adult overnight guests are allowed per lot per night, and off-street parking must be provided. Safety requirements include working smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers, plus compliance with the Virginia Uniform Building Code. A 9% Transient Occupancy Tax applies to stays under 30 consecutive days, in addition to Virginia’s 5.3% sales tax, and Airbnb has collected and remitted the local tax for hosts since October 2022. Enforcement is rated strict. A permit can be revoked after three or more substantiated complaints in a calendar year, and revocation makes the owner ineligible for the rest of that year plus one additional full year. A 2025 to 2026 city study found STR counts grew sharply since the 2015 rules. Staff explored stricter occupancy-proof requirements and a $500 three-year permit but recommended holding off on changes for now. These rules apply to the City of Charlottesville, so confirm requirements for any property outside city limits.
Market Comparison
The Charlottesville and Blue Ridge area STR market has a distinct profile. September 2026 occupancy was 49.2% and ADR was $268, so revenue is driven more by rate than by volume. Multiplying the two gives roughly $132 in revenue per available night, and average monthly revenue per listing is $3,590. Year-over-year growth of 16.0% in revenue, 5.9% in ADR, and 6.3% in occupancy shows momentum, with occupancy still below the 2021 peak of 60.7%. The main difference from many US markets is regulatory: the city requires owner occupancy, a stricter gate than most destination markets, which limits supply from pure investors and may help support rates for permitted homestays. Top operator names are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Charlottesville, so this profile omits them.
Frequently Asked Questions About Charlottesville, Virginia
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