Phase I – Part II: Your Clients May Need to Register for Renting Out Rooms in Their Homes

Loudoun County stepped closer to creating a registration process for homeowners who rent out rooms in Loudoun County. County staff is working on a draft ordinance to put in place a free registration process for people who offer short-term room rentals. Once complete, the public will have an opportunity to comment on the draft ordinance.

Background
The 2017 General Assembly passed SB1578, which allows localities to establish a registry of people offering short-term residential rentals and requires them to register annually. The law also includes an exemption from registration for real estate licensees or people represented by a real estate licensee because REALTORS® are already licensed and knowledgeable about real estate issues.

Last year, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors approved a work plan to create a registration process for homeowners who rent out rooms in Loudoun County. The plan has two phases: 1) registration and taxation; and 2) zoning and public safety. Visit https://dullesarea.com/2017/11/03/loudoun-county-wants-to-know/ to learn more about the County’s work plan.

The first step in Phase I was outreach. County staff researched how the surrounding jurisdictions handle short-term rentals and gathered information from the public through a survey and public input sessions. They presented their recommendations to the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors on February 22, 2018. The Board approved moving forward with the plan.

According to county staff, the registry will also educate short-term rental operators about tax obligations, current zoning requirements and possible changes in public safety requirements. Visit https://www.loudoun.gov/ShortTermRentals to learn more about the short-term rental registry in Loudoun County.

Questions: Contact Brenda Morton, Government Affairs and Communications Manager, at (703) 777-2468 or bmorton@dullesarea.com.