Portsmouth, Virginia: The Hampton Roads City With No Short-Term Rental Rules Is About to Get Its First Ones

Cities across Hampton Roads have spent recent years writing short-term rental rules: Virginia Beach runs a permit program, Newport News began enforcing its own short-term rental law in August, and neighboring York County put its ordinance to a ballot vote. Portsmouth, Virginia, has done none of that. The waterfront city facing Norfolk across the Elizabeth River currently has no ordinance, no registry, and no cap on how many short-term rentals can operate within its limits. A draft ordinance now under city council review would change that, requiring for the first time owner-occupancy and annual registration tied to a zoning permit.

A Rare Regulatory Gap in Hampton Roads

While much of coastal Virginia has moved to formalize short-term rental oversight, Portsmouth remains an outlier. The city has no zoning permit requirement specific to short-term rentals, no annual registration, and no limit on how many can operate in a given neighborhood. That absence of rules has made the city notable in a region where Virginia Beach, Newport News, and York County have all adopted or begun enforcing their own frameworks over the past two years.

What the Draft Ordinance Would Require

The proposal under review would require hosts to occupy the home themselves as a condition of operating a short-term rental, alongside annual registration tied to a zoning permit. City council members have not set a timeline for adoption and are still weighing the exact language. The owner-occupancy clause is the most closely watched provision: whether it survives review is the open question for investors who currently hold rental units in the city without such a restriction.

A City Built Around Its Waterfront

Portsmouth was founded in 1752 on the banks of the Elizabeth River, directly across from downtown Norfolk and connected to it by a passenger ferry that has run for generations. Its Olde Towne district holds one of the best-preserved collections of 18th- and 19th-century homes in Virginia, walkable streets lined with colonial and Victorian architecture. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, founded in 1767 and the oldest in the United States, still anchors the local economy just across the water.

Why the Timing Matters

For travelers weighing a stay in Hampton Roads, the coming months mark a turning point: the freewheeling short-term rental market Portsmouth has known may soon look more like its neighbors. With HomeExchange, that shift does not apply: members exchange homes directly, with no zoning permit or occupancy requirement standing between them. It simply connects members who want to experience a place the way locals do.

Experience the Authenticity of Portsmouth, Virginia with HomeExchange

With HomeExchange, you can live that rhythm like a local. Choose from a traditional house, a beachfront villa, or an urban apartment in the heart of a city. Each home offers a unique perspective.

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