Short-Term Rental Regulations · Asheville / Buncombe County, NC
Is Asheville short-term-rental friendly?
Mixed. Asheville the city is one of the stricter STR markets in the portfolio: renting one or two bedrooms requires an annual Homestay Permit with the owner living on site full time, and whole-home short-term vacation rentals are only permitted in the city's resort zoning district. Unincorporated Buncombe County addresses vacation rentals through its zoning ordinance with no dedicated STR permit found, and a 6% county occupancy tax applies countywide.
Last updated: . Every fact links to its official source.
Town-by-town rules
| Town | Permit required? | Annual cost | Primary-residence / night-cap limits | Lodging tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville | Renting one or two bedrooms in the home you occupy full time requires an annual Homestay Permit from the city. Renting an entire dwelling unit for less than 30 days is a short-term vacation rental and is only permitted in the resort zoning district. (City of Asheville, Apply for a homestay permit (opens in a new tab), City homestay and STR violations page (opens in a new tab)) | The homestay permit is issued and renewed annually, but no permit fee amount was published on the cited city pages. Confirm the current fee with the city's Finance or Development Services departments. (City of Asheville, Apply for a homestay permit (opens in a new tab), City fees and charges page (opens in a new tab), City residential permit application page (opens in a new tab)) | A homestay requires the host to live in the dwelling full time and rent no more than two bedrooms for stays under 30 days. No annual rental-night cap was found in the cited city materials, but whole-home rentals are limited to the resort zoning district. (City of Asheville, Apply for a homestay permit (opens in a new tab), City homestay and STR violations page (opens in a new tab)) | Operators collect Buncombe County's 6% occupancy tax on gross room receipts, due to the county Tax Collections office by the 20th of each month, in addition to state and local sales taxes. Stays of 90 consecutive days or more are exempt. (Buncombe County occupancy tax page (opens in a new tab)) |
| Buncombe County (unincorporated) | No dedicated county short-term rental permit was found in the official materials reviewed. Vacation rentals are addressed through the county zoning ordinance, and county planning proposed STR zoning text amendments in late 2023 and 2024. (Buncombe County Planning, STR text amendments memo (Jan 2024) (opens in a new tab), Buncombe County permits and inspections (opens in a new tab)) | No county STR permit fee was found in the cited county materials. Standard building, zoning, and permitting fees apply through the county Permits and Inspections department. (Buncombe County permits and inspections (opens in a new tab), Buncombe County Planning, STR text amendments memo (opens in a new tab)) | No county primary-residence rule or annual rental-night cap was found in the cited materials. The 2024 planning memo reviewed proposals to limit STRs and its outcomes should be confirmed with the county. (Buncombe County Planning, STR text amendments memo (opens in a new tab)) | The 6% Buncombe County occupancy tax applies to rentals countywide, including unincorporated areas and platform bookings like Airbnb and VRBO. It is remitted to county Tax Collections by the 20th of each month, in addition to state and local sales taxes. (Buncombe County occupancy tax page (opens in a new tab)) |
"Not found" means the restriction was not located in the linked official materials reviewed as of the update date. It does not prove that no later, uncodified, parcel-specific, or special-district rule applies.
Good to know
- Asheville: The city's Compliance Division investigates homestay and short-term rental violations reported through the city, so operating without a permit or outside the allowed zones carries real enforcement risk. (City homestay and STR violations page (opens in a new tab))
- Buncombe County (unincorporated): County planning staff have actively considered zoning text amendments to limit short-term rentals and mitigate housing impacts, so confirm the current ordinance status with the county before investing in unincorporated areas. (Buncombe County Planning, STR text amendments memo (opens in a new tab))
FAQ
Can I Airbnb an entire home in Asheville?
Only inside the city's resort zoning district. Everywhere else in the city, short-term rental activity is limited to homestays: you live in the home full time and rent one or two bedrooms under an annual permit.
What qualifies as a homestay?
Four conditions per the city: the home is in a residential zone, you live in it full time, you rent only one or two bedrooms, and stays are under 30 days. The permit renews annually.
Is unincorporated Buncombe County different?
Yes. Outside city limits the county's zoning ordinance governs vacation rentals and no dedicated STR permit was found in the materials we reviewed, though the county has actively considered zoning amendments. The 6% county occupancy tax applies in both the city and the county.
What taxes do guests pay?
Buncombe County levies a 6% occupancy tax on gross room receipts, on top of North Carolina state and local sales taxes. The tax applies to platform bookings, and owners must confirm which platform remits it on their behalf. Stays of 90 consecutive days or more are exempt from the occupancy tax.
General information, not legal advice. Short-term rental rules change, so verify current requirements with the jurisdiction before listing.