Sec. 30-697.1

Other

• Advertisement must include certificate

  All advertisements for any short-term rental shall include the active certificate of zoning compliance for such short-term rental.

• Minimum age of renter

  No short-term rental operator shall rent a short-term rental to one or more short-term renters, unless at least one of the short-term renters is 18 years of age or older.

• Carbon monoxide detectors

  Carbon monoxide detectors shall be present in compliance with the current edition of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code.

• Certificate expiration730 days

  Every certificate of compliance for a short-term rental use shall expire 730 days after the date it is issued. No sooner than 30 days prior to such expiration, any short-term rental operator who wishes to maintain their short-term rental use may apply for a new certificate of zoning compliance for such use.

• Certificate of zoning compliance required

  Prior to operation of any dwelling unit as a short-term rental, the owner of the dwelling unit shall obtain a certificate of zoning compliance for the short-term rental use in accordance with the conditions set forth in Sections 30-1020 through 30-1020.5 of the Code of the City of Richmond (2020), as amended.

• Fire extinguisher

  A fire extinguisher shall be present in compliance with the current edition of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code.

• Floor plan posting

  Each short-term rental operator shall provide to the Zoning Administrator and conspicuously post within the short-term rental a floor plan of the layout of the dwelling unit, on which floor plan the short-term rental operator shall label the following: a. The use of each room; b. The occupancy level of sleeping rooms and cooking facilities; c. The location and size of emergency egress and rescue openings; and d. The location of fire and carbon monoxide detectors.

• MultifamilyMultifamily dwellingA building of four or more dwelling units. Where zoning is most restrictive. short-term rentalShort-term rentalA dwelling let to guests for brief stays — the zoning category behind Airbnb rules. limit

  For multifamily dwellings, a maximum of ten or one-third of the dwelling units, whichever is lesser, on the lot shall be permitted as short-term rentals, except as provided in section 30-697.2.

• No double booking

  No short-term rental operator shall agree to more than one booking transaction during the same period or any portion thereof that results in reservations for two or more separately-booked short-term renters to occupy the same short-term rental at the same time.

• No illegal commercial use

  No short-term rental operator shall offer, provide, advertise or permit use of a dwelling unit for any commercial use that is prohibited by law.

• Maximum occupancy8 persons

  The number of short-term renters over the age of 18 occupying or present within any short-term rental shall not exceed the lesser of (i) eight persons, or (ii) the maximum number permitted by the most recent edition of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code.

• Operator letter to Zoning Administrator

  Only a short-term rental operator may operate a short-term rental. For each short-term rental, the corresponding short-term rental operator shall submit a letter to the Zoning Administrator with (i) contact information for the short-term rental operator, including such operator's name, permanent mailing address, primary contact phone number and, if applicable, an electronic mail address, (ii) an acknowledgement from the short-term rental operator confirming the operation of the dwelling unit as a short-term rental, and (iii) for condominiums and co-ops, evidence that the condominium or co-op board has approved a request to use the dwelling unit as a short-term rental.

• Smoke detectors

  Smoke detectors shall be present in compliance with the current edition of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code.