City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Onancock, VA
How Onancock regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Rules here limit which homes may operate as short-term rentals, how many, where, or for how many nights a year.
- whole-home STR ('homestay') requires a discretionary town special use permit (special exception) — not by-right
- 200-linear-foot-plus-one-tax-parcel separation between STR properties forecloses residential-zone STR density
- non-resident property owner capped at one STR within town limits
- 3-week maximum transient stay per homestay definition
- idle-12-months or unpaid-TOT auto-rescinds the permit
Based on: Onancock Code of Ordinances ch. 38 (Zoning) § 38-77 — homestay/short-term-rental provisions
Summary of the rule
Every short-term rental must obtain a special use permit from the town. [Special use permits for STRs expire three years from the date of issuance; an idle homestay (12 consecutive months) or one that fails to remit transient occupancy tax has its permit automatically rescinded.]
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 15, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Onancock · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
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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.