LicensedRental

Buncombe County, North Carolina

Asheville, NC vacation rental requirements

In Asheville, renting a whole house or apartment for less than a month is allowed only in the Resort zoning district. Elsewhere you can only run a homestay: rent one or two bedrooms in the home you live in full time, with a city permit that is reviewed every year.

Checked against official sources November 6, 2026

Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.

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Whole-home rentals
Resort district only
Called short-term vacation rentals (STVRs); they need an annual zoning permit and inspection.Source
Homestays
1–2 bedrooms, host lives there
In residential zones; the host must stay overnight while guests are there.Source
Homestay permit fee
$200
From the city fee manual; confirm when you apply.Source
Fine
$500 a day
For renting a whole unit for under a month where lodging isn’t allowed, or an unpermitted homestay.Source
Taxes
7% sales tax + 6% county occupancy tax

Asheville’s homestay and whole-home rules are zoning rules (an annual zoning permit), not a rental registration program.

Many “Asheville” addresses are outside city limits. Check your tax bill: unincorporated Buncombe County follows the county’s zoning instead.

Your licensing checklist

In order: the state, the county, then the town.

State of North Carolina

  1. Know who owes the tax

    Whoever collects the rent reports the sales and occupancy tax: the platform, your rental agency, or you. Airbnb collects state and county sales tax and all local occupancy taxes on its bookings. If guests pay you directly, register with the Department of Revenue for sales tax and with your county or town for occupancy tax.Source

    NCDOR business registration →

  2. Use a written vacation rental agreement

    The Vacation Rental Act covers owners and agents renting for vacation stays under 90 days. Have the guest accept a written agreement with the required notices, hold advance payments in a trust account, and keep the home fit and habitable with working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.Source

  3. Check your zoning

    Towns can’t require you to register a rental, but they can limit short-term rentals to certain zoning districts, require a zoning permit, and set parking, trash, and safety standards. Pick your area for the local rules.Source

Buncombe County, North Carolina

  1. Then your town or area

    Zoning rules for short-term rentals are set by each town, and by the county outside town limits. Pick your area.

City of Asheville

  1. Check your zoning

    If you want to rent the whole home, it must be in the Resort district. Any other house or apartment can only be a homestay, and only one homestay is allowed per lot.Source

  2. Qualify as a homestay host

    You must be 18 or older, live in the home full time as your only primary residence, and be there overnight while guests stay. If you rent the home, the owner applies with you. You can hold only one homestay permit, counting your household and any company you own 5% or more of.Source

  3. Apply with a floor plan

    Send two proofs of residency (for example, voter registration or your driver’s license) and a floor plan of the whole home. Hand drawn is fine. Label the homestay bedrooms with their dimensions, the smoke and CO detectors, and each bedroom’s exit door or egress window.Source

    Asheville homestay permit page →

  4. Keep the permit current

    The homestay is reviewed and inspected every year. Permits don’t transfer to a new owner or tenant, and you need an amendment before you change the layout.Source

  5. Taxes on each stay

    Stays under 90 days owe 7% sales tax plus the local occupancy tax. Airbnb collects both on its bookings. If guests pay you directly, file sales tax with the Department of Revenue. Buncombe County’s 6% occupancy tax covers Asheville. For direct bookings, register with the Buncombe County Tax Department and file monthly by the 20th.Source

House rules for guests

Detached units
Not allowed for new homestays
Only those permitted before December 14, 2021 may continue.Source
Signs
None
Source
Insurance
Liability coverage for guests
Source
Kitchen
Full kitchen only with an inside connection
Attached homestays without one may have a sink and fridge but no stove.Source

Sources

A plain-language summary to help you prepare, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; confirm with the office before you apply. Spot something out of date? Email hello@licensedrental.com.