Moneta, Virginia Short-Term Rental Market
Moneta short-term rentals averaged $285 a night at 54.0% occupancy in June 2026 near Smith Mountain Lake.
Quick Answer: Moneta, Virginia is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Virginia Area market area is 54%. average monthly revenue in the Virginia Area market area is $4,228. average daily rate in the Virginia Area market area is $285. the top operator in the Virginia Area market area is Vacasa with 312 listings. market score is 68/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Virginia Area regional market, which includes Moneta. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Moneta.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Moneta, Virginia, an unincorporated Bedford County community centered on Smith Mountain Lake, sits within a wider Smith Mountain Lake short-term rental market that tracks 9,416 listings as of June 2026; the listing-mix figures below reflect that shared regional data set rather than the small Moneta CDP alone. Moneta’s own STR performance averaged $285.39 a night (ADR) at 54.0% occupancy, generating an average of $4,228 in monthly revenue per listing. Occupancy is down 3.1% year over year and ADR is down 1.2%, while revenue is up 0.5%.
The listing mix across this regional lake market is dominated by entire places: 8,481 of the 9,416 listings (90.1%) are whole units, with 932 (9.9%) private rooms and 3 shared rooms. Of the 9,396 listings with bedroom data on file, 1-bedroom units are the largest group at 2,856 (30.4%), followed by 3-bedroom units at 2,265 (24.1%) and 2-bedroom units at 2,053 (21.9%). Larger 4-bedroom and 5-bedroom properties account for 1,260 (13.4%) and 962 (10.2%) of the market, a notably large share of bigger houses consistent with the lake’s larger-group rental positioning.
Channel distribution across the region favors Airbnb-only listing: 4,462 properties (47.4%) are on Airbnb only, 3,981 (42.3%) are marketed on both Airbnb and Vrbo, and 973 (10.3%) are Vrbo only.
Revenue varies sharply by property type in the Moneta area itself: apartment-style units average $2,427 a month, entire-place units average $4,497, and standalone houses average $4,820, the highest of the three.
Smith Mountain Lake is a 20,600-acre reservoir with about 500 miles of shoreline; the Moneta CDP itself has just 450 residents, but the surrounding lake area supports one of Virginia’s largest concentrations of vacation rentals, with peak demand running May through September.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 35% |
| Feb | 45% |
| Mar | 49% |
| Apr | 50% |
| May | 51% |
| Jun | 58% |
| Jul | 63% |
| Aug | 59% |
| Sep | 49% |
| Oct | 50% |
| Nov | 45% |
| Dec | 40% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Moneta are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Virginia Area market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Virginia Area market as a whole, which includes Moneta, so these counts are not Moneta-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 312 | 10,504 | ★ 4.56 |
| 2 | Evolve | 300 | 11,552 | ★ 4.79 |
| 3 | Casago | 93 | 1,125 | ★ 4.58 |
| 4 | Lakefront Luxury | 72 | 3,462 | ★ 4.95 |
| 5 | Blue Ridge Escapes | 57 | 1,928 | ★ 4.78 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Moneta?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Moneta 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 | 47.4% |
| vrbo | 10.3% |
| both | 42.3% |
Home Value Trends (Moneta)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Moneta 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 Moneta — 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
Moneta falls under Bedford County, Virginia jurisdiction, which regulates short-term rentals through a zoning permit and registration system. Owners must obtain a short-term rental zoning permit before renting a dwelling for periods under 30 days; the permit costs $50.00 and is valid for one year with annual renewal.
STRs are permitted in AP, AR, AV, R-1, R-2, and PRD zoning districts, with particular focus on parcels within 500 feet of the 795-foot elevation contour of Smith Mountain Lake, where roughly 80% of the county’s STRs are located. Applicants must submit a property management plan covering a floor plan, a local contact able to respond to complaints within 50 miles, a garbage disposal plan, a parking plan, and guest limits. Maximum overnight occupancy is 2 adults per bedroom, all vehicles, boats, and trailers must be parked on the lot, and signage is limited to one small non-illuminated sign.
Operators must collect and remit a lodging tax of about 7.0%. There is no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement and no annual cap on rental nights, only the requirement that each booking run under 30 days.
Enforcement is rated moderate; an August 2023 ordinance update added real teeth, including a $500 penalty for operating before registering, up from the standard $50 fee. Overall, this is a comparatively investor-friendly registration regime relative to many lake markets.
Market Comparison
Moneta’s 54.0% occupancy runs slightly below the national short-term rental median of roughly 55%, about 1.0 percentage point lower, while its $285.39 ADR is roughly 29.7% above a national median ADR of about $220. This near-national occupancy paired with a solid rate premium is typical of an established lake destination with strong seasonal demand but a real off-season, rather than a year-round urban market.
Across the wider Smith Mountain Lake market that includes Moneta, national vacation rental managers lead alongside local lake specialists. Vacasa holds the top spot with 312 listings (3.3% of the region’s 9,416 tracked listings) and 10,504 reviews at a 4.56 average rating. Evolve is second with 300 listings (3.2% share) and 11,552 reviews at 4.79. Casago ranks third with 93 listings (1.0% share) and 1,125 reviews at 4.58. Together, the top three managers control only about 7.5% of tracked listings across this regional market, indicating substantial room for smaller, lake-focused operators like Lakefront Luxury and Blue Ridge Escapes alongside the national brands.
Frequently Asked Questions About Moneta, Virginia
What is the average Airbnb occupancy rate near Moneta, Virginia (Smith Mountain Lake)?
What is the average nightly rate for a Smith Mountain Lake vacation rental in Moneta?
How much does a short-term rental permit cost in Moneta / Bedford County?
How much revenue does the average Moneta-area short-term rental generate per month?
When is peak season for Smith Mountain Lake vacation rentals?
Who are the top property managers operating around Smith Mountain Lake?
Do STRs near Smith Mountain Lake need to be owner-occupied?
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