The Lynchburg Association of Realtors recently had the pleasure of hosting Kevin Henry from Lynchburg’s Zoning and Natural resources Department. It was a fascinating and informative two-hour session, and while the city’s zoning regulations differ slightly from the five surrounding counties LAR serves, there were some takeaways I think residents will find especially useful.
Lynchburg has four types of residential zoning: R-1, R-2, R-3 and R-4. R-1 and R-2 are classified as low and low-medium density. They’re quite similar, with the main differences being the required road frontage and minimum lot size. Since R-2 allows for slightly less frontage and smaller lots, those neighborhoods tend to be a bit more densely populated than R-1.
R-3 and R-4 are medium and high-density zones. These areas allow for multi-family housing and rentals – think duplexes, triplexes and apartment buildings. A common misconception is that R-2 allows for duplexes, but in R-1 and R-2 zones, you cannot have more than one rental unit unless the owner lives in one of them. So even if a house is split into an upstairs/downstairs or A/B unit, both cannot be rented out to tenants in R-1 or R-2 zones unless one side is owner-occupied.
Another zoning regulation worth noting is the limit on how many people can live together in a rental. In Lynchburg, only three unrelated tenants may legally share a home. I had always heard this was a remnant of an old “brothel law” (I have since learned as an adult that Lynchburg once had a thriving industry), but today it primarily affects young adults or students trying to rent larger homes together.
Lastly, let’s talk about short-term rentals, like those listed on Airbnb or VRBO. Currently, there are no zoning restrictions that prohibit them in any part of Lynchburg. Homeowners simply need to register their property as a short-term rental and pay a one-time $150 fee. The real impact comes from the 6.5% lodging tax, which is automatically collected and remitted to the city through most booking platforms.
Understanding zoning might not sound glamorous, but it can help you avoid costly mistakes – and it’s something your local Realtor is well-equipped to explain. Thanks again to Kevin Henry for an informative and entertaining presentation.
Billy Morris
2025 president of the Lynchburg Association of Realtors and
Associate broker at John Stewart Walker Inc.