# Virginia HB1557: Short-term rentals; registration; civil penalty.

Virginia HB1557, Short-term rentals; registration; civil penalty., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by R. Lee Ware (Republican); status failed, last action 2025-02-04 (Left in Finance) (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1557-2025
- As of: 2026-10-17
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB1557
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: Short-term rentals; registration; civil penalty.
- Status: failed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2024-11-21
- Last action: 2025-02-04, Left in Finance
- Sponsor: R. Lee Ware (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Finance
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 1 (5 yes, 3 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Short-term rentals; registration; civil penalty. Directs the Department of Taxation to establish a registry of short-term rental properties and require accommodations providers and intermediaries to register. Under the bill, an accommodations provider shall provide to the Department its name and the address of each property it offers for short-term rental. The bill states that the Department shall issue each such accommodations provider a unique numerical identifier for each such property. An accommodations intermediary shall provide the Department its name and the contact information for the individual responsible for liaising with state and local officials regarding noncompliant short-term rental listings. The bill states that as a condition of listing a short-term rental on its platform, an accommodations intermediary shall require each accommodations provider to provide such provider's name and the unique numerical identifier and specific address for each short term-rental offered. Under the bill, such information, as well as information regarding receipts and taxes paid, shall be provided to the Department by the accommodations intermediary on a quarterly basis. However, an accommodations intermediary shall not be required to provide such information to the Department if the intermediary provides monthly reports of property addresses and gross receipts for all accommodations facilitated by the accommodations intermediary to each locality in which an accommodation is located. Such monthly reports are a compliance requirement imposed by law for the payment of transient occupancy taxes. The bill states that the Department shall provide the commissioner of the revenue for each locality with access to the registry and information contained therein. The commissioner of the revenue shall notify an accommodations intermediary of any short-term rental on its platform that is not lawfully authorized to be offered on its platform, and the accommodations intermediary shall remove any such listing from its platform. Under the bill, any accommodations intermediary who does not remove such a listing from its platform shall be subject to a civil penalty of $1,000, to be paid into the Virginia Housing Trust Fund. Finally, the bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: R. Lee Ware (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-01-20 | House | Subcommittee recommends laying on the table | pass | 5 | 3 | 1 |

## Actions (6)

- 2025-02-04: Left in Finance (House)
- 2025-01-20: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (5-Y 3-N) (House)
- 2025-01-17: Assigned Finance sub: Subcommittee #1 (House)
- 2025-01-12: Impact statement from TAX (HB1557) (House)
- 2024-11-21: Referred to Committee on Finance (House)
- 2024-11-21: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-08-2025 25100268D (House)

## Bill text

- Introduced, 2024-11-21: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1011572.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1011571.PDF)

## Related bills

- HR671: Commending JR's Auto Care. (adopted)
- SB941: Robbery; use of air or gas operated weapon, etc., penalty. (failed)
- HB1746: Public safety officer; definition. (failed)
- HB1600: Budget Bill. (failed)
- SB1449: Data centers; site assessment for high energy use facility. (failed)
- HB1609: Essential health benefits benchmark plan; Commission to consider coverage for infertility treatment. (to governor)

## Sources
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1011572.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1011571.PDF)

## Related
- [HR671: Commending JR's Auto Care.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HR671-2025)
- [SB941: Robbery; use of air or gas operated weapon, etc., penalty.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB941-2025)
- [HB1746: Public safety officer; definition.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1746-2025)
- [HB1600: Budget Bill.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1600-2025)
- [SB1449: Data centers; site assessment for high energy use facility.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB1449-2025)
- [HB1609: Essential health benefits benchmark plan; Commission to consider coverage for i…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1609-2025)
- [Virginia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia/bills)
- [Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1557-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).