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City attorney and revenue commissioner propose code updates to enforce transient‑occupancy taxes for platforms
Summary
Staff recommended an ordinance to align Roanoke's transient‑occupancy tax code with state law so accommodations intermediaries (e.g., Airbnb, VRBO) must collect and remit tax and provide data; the commissioner of the revenue said Airbnb currently remits tax and the change improves auditability and consistency with other localities.
Deputy City Attorney presented a proposed amendment to the city’s transient‑occupancy tax code to align local rules with recent state statutory changes. The draft ordinance replaces the term “hotel” with “accommodations provider” and creates obligations and exemptions for accommodations intermediaries that facilitate room rentals on platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO.
Ryan Lafontaine, the commissioner of the revenue, told council that Airbnb currently collects transient occupancy tax and remits it to the city, but the state changes require intermediaries to provide provider addresses, gross receipts and remittance details to improve auditability. The updated city language would make the local code consistent with other Virginia localities and provide clearer enforcement tools.
Deputy City Attorney said the ordinance would appear on the Feb. 17 council agenda and that no public hearing is required because the measure does not raise the tax rate. Lafontaine noted enforcement challenges for privately arranged short‑term rentals but said staff uses web searches and platform data to identify listings for compliance.
