City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Chincoteague, VA
How Chincoteague regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Short-term rentals here are subject to registration, a lodging tax, or a small number of operating rules.
- STR-specific permit ordinance adopted Sept 8 2026 (effective Jan 1 2027): permit + inspection, fire-safety/emergency-access documentation, liability insurance, property-management plan
- non-foreclosing 2-consecutive-night minimum stay
- off-street parking: 1 space per 2 guests
- whole-home STR remains permitted by-right in residential zones — proposed R-1 residential-zone exclusion was rejected/tabled June 2026
- town business license required, administered via Building & Zoning; existing operators to obtain permits by Dec 31 2026
- Town 5% transient occupancy tax on lodging under 30 days (plus VA 5% + Accomack County 2%)
Based on: STR ordinance adopted by Town Council 2026-09-08, effective 2027-01-01 (permit + 2-night min stay + parking); Town
Summary of the rule
Transient occupancy tax is charged by providers of lodging of less than 30 days. The current Town transient occupancy tax rate is 5%.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 15, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Chincoteague · 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.