Mount Jackson, Virginia

Short-term rentals are legal and active in the Mount Jackson area, but most properties carrying a Mount Jackson, VA address actually sit in unincorporated Shenandoah County, so the county’s STR framework usually applies rather than a town-specific one. The county permits STRs with 4 bedrooms or fewer by right through an Annual Short-Term Rental Permit, costing $225 a year and applied for online through the county’s MuniRevs portal, while dwellings with 5 or more bedrooms require a Special Use Permit, roughly $500 and non-refundable, with Planning Commission and Board review.

There is no statutory maximum number of rental nights per year and no owner occupancy or primary residence requirement. Occupancy is limited to 2 guests per bedroom plus 2 additional for properties on public water and sewer, and private septic properties must have capacity verified by the Virginia Department of Health.

A 5% county Transient Occupancy Tax applies, on top of Virginia’s 5.3% state and 1% local sales tax, plus a business and personal property tax that took effect October 1, 2023. Properties inside the small incorporated Town of Mount Jackson itself follow the town’s own zoning under Code of Ordinances Chapter 66 and must obtain a town business license; investors should confirm with the town whether a separate town permit or town occupancy tax applies.

Enforcement is rated moderate but active and cooperative: the county has identified roughly 508 short-term rentals and reports that about 9 in 10 are permitted or working through compliance, following the county’s 2023 overhaul of its STR rules.