Is Alexandria, Virginia Good for Airbnb Investment?

Permit status, parcel compliance, operating constraints, taxes, and property economics should be verified before acquisition.

• Confirm the property is inside the City of Alexandria, not neighboring Fairfax County or another jurisdiction with different rules.
• Treat the Planning & Zoning permit as an acquisition gate when expected STR use exceeds 10 days in a calendar year.
• Confirm the dwelling, bedrooms, parking plan, occupancy, lease or ownership documents, and safety equipment can satisfy the current application.
• Model the owner-occupied or owner-unoccupied permit fee, lodging taxes, insurance, management, utilities, maintenance, and financing from property-specific evidence.
• Require written answers from City staff and review condominium, association, lease, lender, and insurance restrictions before waiving contingencies.
• Underwrite a lawful long-term or other permitted fallback use if the permit is denied, revoked, or operational assumptions fail.

The City regulates STR activity in any zoning district and requires a permit for operations over the annual threshold.

• A short-term residential rental is a room or space suitable or intended for dwelling, typically offered for fewer than 30 consecutive days for a charge.
• The operator must have a legal interest in the dwelling and provide proof of ownership or a lease with required permission.
• Owner-occupied applicants must submit current residency evidence; leased owner-unoccupied properties require an owner permission letter.
• The adopted regulations apply to any property in any zoning district with an active STR lease agreement.
• The principal dwelling and an accessory dwelling unit on the same lot may not be listed or rented at the same time.
• Private covenants, condominium rules, leases, financing, and insurance may be stricter than City approval and require independent review.

STRs operating more than 10 days yearly must use the City permit process before continuing that level of activity.

• Review the adopted ordinance, at-a-glance summary, and current application instructions before creating an APEX submission.
• Install and photograph required smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, and the posted Good Neighbor Guide.
• Submit ownership or lease documentation, residency or owner-permission evidence as applicable, bedroom count, proposed occupancy, and parking information.
• Provide 24/7 contact information for the operator or registered local agent and identify any off-site parking agreement within 500 feet.
• After permit issuance, send required notice by registered or certified mail to every abutting property with contact, permit, occupancy, and complaint information.
• Pay the non-refundable annual fee and do not treat an incomplete or pending APEX submission as approval.

Required parking depends on bedroom count and whether the parcel is inside the Enhanced Transit Area.

• Outside the Enhanced Transit Area, provide 0.75 parking spaces per bedroom.
• Inside the Enhanced Transit Area, provide 0.25 parking spaces per bedroom.
• Round fractional parking results of one-half or more up to the next whole space.
• Required parking may be on site or secured within 500 feet through a signed parking agreement.
• An STR with zero or one on-site space, including one in a residential permit parking district, may count up to two on-street spaces toward the requirement.
• Use the City map and obtain written parcel-specific confirmation rather than inferring transit-area status from neighborhood names.

The permit program sets a bedroom-based occupancy ceiling that applies continuously.

• Maximum occupancy is two people per legally defined bedroom plus two additional people, subject to an absolute limit of 10.
• A studio or one-bedroom unit may host no more than four occupants; a two-bedroom unit six; a three-bedroom unit eight; and a four-bedroom or larger unit 10.
• The occupancy ceiling applies at all times, 24 hours per day and seven days per week.
• Parties, events, and gatherings above permitted occupancy are prohibited except at properties in commercial or mixed-use zones.
• Provide the Good Neighbor Guide to guests at least 24 hours before check-in and keep it prominently displayed in the STR.
• The Guide must communicate occupancy, party, quiet-hour, trash, pet-waste, parking, and local-transit expectations.

Permitted operators remain responsible for daily compliance and rapid complaint resolution.

• Keep required smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers installed as certified in the application.
• Comply with City noise and solid-waste rules and communicate the Good Neighbor Guide’s 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. quiet hours.
• Maintain a 24/7 telephone contact for the operator or registered local agent.
• Resolve City-notified occupancy, party, event, or noise violations within one hour.
• Address other zoning and City Code violations within the ordinary enforcement timeframes.
• Keep permit, guest, safety, parking, and notice records organized for renewals, complaints, and enforcement review.

Permit fees, City and state lodging taxes, registration, and monthly filings are separate obligations.

• All Alexandria short-term residential rental hosts must register with the Department of Finance.
• The annual non-refundable STR permit fee is $100 for an owner-occupied rental and $350 for an owner-unoccupied rental.
• The City lodging tax is 6.5% of the room rental charge plus $1.25 per room per night.
• The state transient occupancy tax is 3%, producing a combined 9.5% plus $1.25 per room per night.
• Transient lodging returns and remittances are due monthly by the last day of the month following the reported month.
• Confirm platform collection, taxable charges, Finance registration, business-license obligations, and remaining filing duties directly with the City and Virginia authorities.

Repeated violations can block applications or revoke an existing permit.

• Operating over 10 days in a calendar year without the required permit may trigger an initial $200 citation.
• After the initial citation, the City states that $500 citations may issue every 10 days until an application is submitted.
• Two noncompliance citations prohibit the operator from applying for a permit for one year.
• Three or more violations of the same City Code or ordinance section within a permit year result in revocation.
• Five or more violations of separate sections within a permit year result in revocation, and significant health or safety risks may cause immediate revocation.
• Denial or revocation may be appealed through the Board of Zoning Appeals or Circuit Court; obtain legal advice for an actual dispute.

Use City sources and written confirmations for permit, parcel, tax, and enforcement questions.

• Planning & Zoning administers the STR permit program and parcel-specific land-use review.
• APEX is the City portal for permit applications, documents, photographs, and fee payment.
• The Department of Finance maintains STR registration and transient lodging tax administration.
• The Business Tax Section can address lodging-tax returns, business licensing, and account questions at 703-746-4800 or businesstax@alexandriava.gov.
• Use the Enhanced Transit Area map as a screening tool and request written confirmation when parking classification affects feasibility.
• Recheck the live ordinance, permit page, tax page, and application materials before relying on a closing, listing, renewal, or filing decision.