10 rules for unincorporated Buncombe County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated Buncombe County, a single vacation rental (up to two homes / 9,000 sq ft) is a permitted use in most zoning districts. Larger vacation rental complexes need a conditional use permit, and a zoning compliance certificate is required.
Buncombe County Zoning Ordinance Sec. 78-581 (Definitions)
Vacation rental means no more than two single family homes with a combined total of no more than 9,000 square feet gross floor area which are rented for two (2) days or more to tourists, vacationers, or similar transients.
Buncombe County's zoning ordinance sets no vacation-rental-specific noise rule. Guest noise is instead governed by the county's general noise ordinance and, inside towns, by the municipality's own noise limits. Hosts remain responsible for guest conduct.
Buncombe County levies a 6% room occupancy tax on gross receipts from any room, lodging, or accommodation rented for fewer than 90 days, including Airbnb and VRBO stays. It is filed with the county Tax Department and due by the 20th of the following month.
Buncombe County's Zoning Ordinance requires a vacation rental complex or rooming house to provide at least one off-street parking space for every two guest rooms, and to screen parking with a vegetative buffer or fencing next to single-family homes.
Buncombe County Zoning Ordinance Sec. 78-678(9)(b)
Parking requirements shall be at least one space for each two proposed guest rooms. Such parking areas shall be visually screened with a vegetative buffer or fencing adjacent to any single family residential development.
A Buncombe County vacation rental complex may contain no more than 10 separate vacation rental units; anything larger is treated as a hotel/motel. Complexes must also provide one bathroom for every four guest rooms and keep 20 feet between buildings.
Buncombe County Zoning Ordinance Sec. 78-581 (Definitions)
A vacation rental complex shall include no more than 10 separate vacation rental units. A development consisting of more than 10 vacation rental units shall be considered a hotel or motel for purposes of this ordinance except within the Open Use District (OU) where it shall be considered a vacation rental complex.
Buncombe County does not require short-term rental operators to carry a specific liability insurance policy. Coverage is left to the owner, lender, HOA, and booking platform. Hosts should still confirm adequate liability insurance before renting.
Buncombe County sets no cap on the number of nights per year a vacation rental may be booked. Rentals are defined simply as stays of two or more days to transients, with no maximum-nights limit in the zoning ordinance.
Buncombe County has no separate STR license registry, but its zoning ordinance defines and classifies vacation rentals by size. A property over 9,000 sq ft or with more than two units becomes a "vacation rental complex" with stricter review, and county occupancy tax registration is required.
Buncombe County Zoning Ordinance Sec. 78-581 (Definitions)
Vacation rental complex means two single family homes or one single family home with a combined total of more 9,000 square feet of gross floor area or a group of more than two separate vacation rental units adjacent to each other and held in common ownership which are rented out for two (2) days or more.
Buncombe County does not require a host or manager to be present or on-site during vacation rental stays. Unhosted whole-home rentals are permitted by district. Individual towns such as Asheville handle owner-present homestays under their own separate rules.
Buncombe County does not require a vacation rental to be the owner's primary residence. Whole-home rentals are allowed as permitted or conditional uses by district. Some towns like Asheville do restrict whole-house STRs, so check municipal rules inside city limits.
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