Rental Property Rules in Raleigh, NC (2026)
6 verified rental property rules for Raleigh, North Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Rent Control
North Carolina prohibits local rent control under N.C.G.S. section 42-14.1, retitled and broadened in 2024. There is no statewide cap, no rent-increase notice statute, and no remedy for a retaliatory rent increase.
Raleigh Rent Control & Stabilization
Few RestrictionsN.C.G.S. § 42-14.1
§ 42-14.1. Preemption of local regulations. (a) No county or city as defined by G.S. 160A-1 may enact, maintain, or enforce any ordinance or resolution which regulates the amount of rent to be charged for privately owned, single-family or multiple unit residential or commercial rental property. (b) No county or city as defined by G.S. 160A-1 may enact, maintain, or enforce any ordinance or reso...
Just Cause Eviction
Raleigh does not have a just-cause eviction ordinance. North Carolina follows standard landlord-tenant law under Chapter 42 of the NC General Statutes. Landlords may terminate tenancies with proper notice as specified by law: 7 days for breach of lease, 2 days for non-payment of rent, or the applicable notice period for month-to-month tenancies. There is no local requirement to demonstrate just cause for non-renewal.
Raleigh Just Cause Eviction Protections
Few RestrictionsN.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-26
§ 42-26. Tenant holding over may be dispossessed in certain cases. (a) Any tenant or lessee of any house or land, and the assigns under the tenant or legal representatives of such tenant or lessee, who holds over and continues in the possession of the demised premises, or any part thereof, without the permission of the landlord, and after demand made for its surrender, may be removed from such ...
Rental Registration
Raleigh requires every owner of a residential rental dwelling to register it with the Inspections Department before renting, receiving rent, or advertising it for rent, per City Code § 12-2177. Registration is per tax parcel, costs a nonrefundable $30 application fee plus an annual fee scaled by unit count, and must be renewed with updated contact information every year under § 12-2178.
Raleigh Rental Property Registration Required
Some RestrictionsRaleigh City Code § 12-2177
(a)Unless compliance with this article is deemed pursuant to §12-2180, it shall be unlawful for an owner to rent, to receive rental income from, or to offer for rent, any rental residential dwelling required to be registered under this part without first registering the dwelling under this part or when the permit issued under §12-2164 is revoked. The owner of a rental residential dwelling shall...
Security Deposit Rules
Raleigh landlords must follow North Carolina's Tenant Security Deposit Act, NCGS §42-50 through §42-56, which caps deposits by lease term, requires segregated trust accounts, and mandates itemized accounting within 30 days of lease termination.
NC Tenant Security Deposit Act Limits
Some RestrictionsN.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-51
§ 42-51. Permitted uses of the deposit. (a) Security deposits for residential dwelling units shall be permitted only for the following: (1) The tenant's possible nonpayment of rent and costs for water or sewer services provided pursuant to G.S. 62-110(g) and electric service pursuant to G.S. 62-110(h). (2) Damage to the premises, including damage to or destruction of smoke alarms or carbon mono...
Source-of-Income Discrimination
Raleigh and North Carolina have not classified source of income as a protected class. Landlords may legally refuse Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, SSI, or other lawful income sources without violating fair housing law, unless the refusal masks a protected-class motive.
No Source-Of-Income Protection In Raleigh
Few RestrictionsN.C. Gen. Stat. § 41A-4
§ 41A-4. Unlawful discriminatory housing practices. (a) It is an unlawful discriminatory housing practice for any person in a real estate transaction, because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicapping condition, or familial status to: (1) Refuse to engage in a real estate transaction; (2) Discriminate against a person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of a real estate t...
Repairs & Habitability
Raleigh's Housing Code sets minimum equipment standards every rental dwelling must meet: working kitchen sink, private toilet and bathing facilities, hot water between 110 and 140 degrees, and adequate heat, light and ventilation. A City inspector enforces these standards under UDO Article 11.6, with civil penalties and administrative fees for landlords who don't fix cited defects.
Raleigh Rental Habitability Standards
Some RestrictionsRaleigh Unified Development Ordinance § 11.6.3
No person shall occupy or let to another for occupancy, any dwelling unit for the purpose of human habitation which does not comply with the following minimum requirements: ... Every dwelling unit shall contain a kitchen sink, free from corrosion and leaks, in good working condition and properly connected to a water and sewer system approved by the City. The kitchen sink shall have hot and cold...
Looking for Wake County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Raleigh city rules.
Rental Property Rules in Wake County →