Fairfax, Virginia Short-Term Rental Market
Fairfax, VA STRs averaged $185/night at 69.2% occupancy in April 2026, but city zoning prohibits non-owner-occupied short-term rentals.
Quick Answer: Fairfax, Virginia is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 74%. average monthly revenue is $3,714. average daily rate is $186. the top operator is Blueground with 662 listings. market score is 50/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Washington DC regional market, which includes Fairfax. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Fairfax.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Fairfax City is an independent Virginia city of 25,026 residents approximately 20 miles from Washington, DC, accessible via the Orange Line Metro at Vienna/Fairfax-GMU. It is a history-oriented destination drawing regional visitors, Civil War history enthusiasts, George Mason University-related travelers, and government and business travelers spilling from the DC metro. Historic Old Town Fairfax, founded in 1799, anchors local tourism.
The STR data for this market area reflects platform listings across the broader Fairfax statistical area, which may include properties in adjacent Fairfax County (a distinct jurisdiction with more permissive STR rules) alongside the city itself. Within Fairfax City limits, non-owner-occupied STRs are prohibited (see Regulatory Summary).
In April 2026, the average daily rate across tracked listings was $185 at 69.2% occupancy, producing RevPAR of $128.26. Year-over-year changes are essentially flat: occupancy up 0.19 percentage points, ADR down 2.60%, and per-listing revenue down 0.01%.
The listing mix is large and private-room-heavy for a market this size: 14,836 entire-place listings, 5,170 private rooms, and 68 shared rooms across approximately 20,074 tracked units. Bedroom distribution skews sharply toward 1-bedroom (11,380), reflecting the DC-area corporate and government traveler base. Channel distribution is Airbnb-dominant: 13,456 Airbnb-only, 5,648 on both platforms, and 970 VRBO-only.
Market scores: total 49.9, rental demand 78.3, seasonality 83.9, investability 49.8, revenue growth 46.6, regulation 62.5.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52% | $119 | $1,792 |
| Feb | 59% | $119 | $1,810 |
| Mar | 70% | $143 | $2,665 |
| Apr | 67% | $150 | $2,778 |
| May | 71% | $153 | $2,908 |
| Jun | 74% | $153 | $3,032 |
| Jul | 72% | $138 | $2,713 |
| Aug | 66% | $138 | $2,545 |
| Sep | 66% | $136 | $2,452 |
| Oct | 69% | $146 | $2,784 |
| Nov | 60% | $135 | $2,277 |
| Dec | 58% | $130 | $2,152 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Fairfax
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blueground | 662 | 296 | ★ 4.31 |
| 2 | WeHost | 360 | 6,355 | ★ 4.29 |
| 3 | Sojourn | 322 | 13,402 | ★ 4.75 |
| 4 | Global Luxury Suites | 231 | 2,918 | ★ 4.19 |
| 5 | Evolve | 222 | 5,049 | ★ 4.39 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Fairfax?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 11,380 |
| 2 bed | 4,283 |
| 3 bed | 2,178 |
| 4 bed | 1,229 |
| 5 bed | 911 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $229 |
| Luxury | $408 |
| Professionally Managed | $225 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $3,642 |
| Entire Place | $4,498 |
| House | $3,754 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 67% |
| vrbo | 4.8% |
| both | 28.1% |
Investment Analysis
Fairfax presents a constrained investment profile for short-term rentals. Within Fairfax City limits, investor-owned STRs are not legally permitted; the only pathway requires owner-occupancy and City Council-approved Bed & Breakfast status (see Regulatory Summary). The following analysis applies to the broader Fairfax statistical market area, which includes listings in Fairfax County (which has its own permitting framework).
At April 2026’s average monthly revenue of $3,505, annualized revenue for an active listing would be approximately $42,060. With a typical home value of $799,544 (Zillow, April 2026), the gross revenue yield on the all-listings average would be approximately 5.3% before expenses. Entry cost in this market is high: the typical home value of $799,544 means capital requirements significantly exceed those of smaller markets in this report.
Housing market context reinforces the competitive buying environment: the median sale price was $740,000 in April 2026, and the sale-to-list ratio was 1.014, meaning homes are selling above asking price on average. Median days to pending was 6, indicating an extremely fast market. For-sale inventory stands at 269 properties.
Tier differentiation is substantial. Entire-home listings average $222/night, professionally managed properties average $223/night (essentially at parity, unlike most markets where PM commands a premium), and luxury-tier listings average $392/night. The April 2026 all-listings ADR of $185 sits well above the historical April average of $150, indicating recent rate growth above the long-run trend.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
The average booking lead time in Fairfax is 36.5 days, consistent with a DC-area market where government, business, and university travelers book 4 to 6 weeks out rather than months in advance as leisure vacation planners do. Dynamic pricing should focus on the 30 to 45 day pricing window.
Average length of stay is 4.8 nights. At 69.2% occupancy and a 4.8-night average, operators see approximately 4 to 5 booking events per month. This is longer than a pure business-travel market (typically 2 to 3 nights) but shorter than a full-week vacation market, consistent with the mix of extended-stay corporate travelers and leisure visitors to the DC area.
The 4.8-night average is long enough to benefit from weekly-rate pricing structures. Operators who offer a modest weekly-rate discount can improve occupancy in slower months without discounting peak-period nights where demand is already strong at 70%+ occupancy.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
The City of Fairfax is an independent Virginia city distinct from surrounding Fairfax County, and the two have different STR regulations. Within Fairfax City limits, non-owner-occupied short-term rentals are not an allowed use under the zoning ordinance. Whole-home investor rentals on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO are effectively prohibited.
The only authorized pathway for sub-30-day stays is an owner-occupied Bed and Breakfast, which requires a Special Use Permit approved by the City Council. The B&B must be the owner’s primary single-family residence, must be located on an arterial or collector street, cannot be a townhouse or apartment, and individual guest stays must be under 14 consecutive nights. This pathway requires owner-occupancy, primary-residence status, and discretionary council approval, making it unsuitable for investor-owned properties.
Lodging subject to the transient occupancy tax pays a combined rate of 7% through June 30, 2026 (4% City of Fairfax tax plus 3% Northern Virginia Transportation District tax). The City’s adopted FY2027 budget raises the city portion from 4% to 10.5% effective July 1, 2026, lifting the combined transient occupancy tax rate to approximately 13.5%. The increase is projected to generate approximately $812,500 more per year.
Enforcement is rated strict. Investors targeting STR income should research Fairfax County (a distinct, larger jurisdiction) rather than the City of Fairfax, as the county has its own permitting framework.
Market Comparison
At 69.2% occupancy and $185 ADR in April 2026, Fairfax sits well above the US STR median occupancy of approximately 55% and is approaching the national median ADR of roughly $220. RevPAR of $128.26 reflects a high-occupancy, moderate-rate market. The occupancy strength comes from the DC metro demand base: government, military, and university demand creates more consistent year-round pressure than most leisure markets.
The total market score of 49.9 reflects the market’s constraints: high entry cost, regulatory headwinds, and below-median revenue growth (46.6) offset the strong rental demand score (78.3). The investability score of 49.8 is the lowest in this batch, driven primarily by the high home values relative to achievable STR revenue.
The operator mix reflects the DC-area corporate travel character. Blueground leads with 662 listings, a furnished apartment operator focused on monthly and extended-stay corporate tenants. WeHost follows with 360 listings, and Sojourn with 322. Global Luxury Suites (231 listings) confirms the premium corporate demand segment. The top five operators hold a combined 1,797 listings, representing a significant share of the market and signaling that corporate extended-stay is the dominant professional management thesis in this market.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fairfax, Virginia
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