City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Cape Charles, VA
How Cape Charles regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Short-term rentals here operate under a registration or permit system with ongoing operating rules.
- annual STR zoning permit issued by planning department (administrative/ministerial, objective criteria — no discretionary CUP)
- mandatory annual business license + initial and annual re-inspection
- per-operator cap of 5 STR units townwide (lessee/sublessee limited to 1) — still allows whole-home operation
- transient occupancy tax (TOT) required on every STR
- adjacent-owner notification, 24/7 responsible-party contact, annual STR training review
- occupancy base limit of 10 lodgers, higher allowed administratively with off-street parking
- one-year grace period from adoption to come into compliance
Based on: Zoning Ordinance Sec. 32-104, Ord. No. 20241219A, adopted 12-19-2024 (superseding the Nov. 21, 2024 version)
Summary of the rule
A short-term rental unit shall not be operated until a short-term rental (STR) zoning permit is issued by the planning department.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 15, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Cape Charles · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
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City Watch tracks changes from public sources — council agendas, state bills, local news — not a complete legal compendium.
A city permit is not the whole picture — HOA, condominium, deed, or lease rules may be stricter.
City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.