Stretching back a few weeks, Nolan Stout at the Daily News Record, wrote an informative article about short term rentals in this area.

Bottom line -- and to answer a question many of my clients have asked me in recent years....

"The rentals, considered short-term rentals, are unregulated in Rockingham and illegal in Harrisonburg in residential zoning districts. That could change, however, as city and county officials consider taxing the property owners and creating zoning regulations to address neighbors' concerns."

So, again....

• Short Term Rentals (such as via AirBNB) are illegal in the Harrisonburg
   
  
• Short Term Rentals are currently unregulated in Rockingham County

A few other interesting snippets from the article....

• "Airbnb press secretary Crystal Davis said 8,200 Virginia properties, including 110 in Harrisonburg, hosted at least one guest in the past year. She didn't have information for the county."
   
• "Rentals were listed Wednesday in all but one Rockingham County town. Dozens of properties were available at Massanutten Resort. Many of the rentals were near the city, but some rentals were available in sparsely populated areas like Bergton, Criders, Fulks Run, Hinton, Rawley Springs and Ottobine."
   
• "County Administrator Stephen King said two related regulations are under consideration. The first would create a definition in the zoning ordinance for short-term rentals and dictate where and how they are allowed. The ordinance would address complaints about noise, traffic, building and fire code."
   
  
• "Adam Fletcher, director of planning and community development, and city spokeswoman Mary-Hope Vass said Harrisonburg is considering allowing the businesses by special-use permit and imposing the transient occupancy tax."

Read the entire article here.