LicensedRental

North Carolina county rules

Catawba County, NC vacation rental rules and taxes

Catawba County has about 350 listings, led by Hickory and the Lake Norman side around Sherrills Ford. We found no short-term rental rules in the county or Hickory codes; occupancy tax rates are on our call list.

Checked against official sources November 6, 2026
Market
About 350 Airbnb listings
Hickory 172, Sherrills Ford 86, Lake Norman of Catawba 70, Newton 28 (AirROI).Source
Sales tax
7%
Occupancy tax
Not confirmed
Airbnb collects any local occupancy tax on its bookings.Source
Local rules
None found

Part of Hickory is in Burke and Caldwell counties.

What to do

  1. Then your town or area

    Zoning rules and the occupancy tax depend on whether you’re inside a town. Pick your area.

Towns

Full guide

Hickory

We found no short-term rental zoning rules in Hickory’s code. Stays owe 7% sales tax + any local occupancy tax; Airbnb collects these on its bookings.

Full guide

Unincorporated Catawba County

We found no short-term rental permit or zoning rules in the Catawba County code. Stays owe 7% sales tax plus any local occupancy tax; Airbnb collects these on its bookings.

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 Spot something out of date?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.