Raleigh, NC Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)

The registration duty comes from Article H of Chapter 12, adopted by Ord. No. 2008-415B and amended in 2011. Under § 12-2177(a), it is unlawful to rent, collect rent from, or offer for rent any rental residential dwelling required to be registered without first filing that registration; a manager overseeing multiple units in one townhouse development or apartment house may file a single registration for the group. Applications go to the Inspections Department under oath, list the owner and any manager along with an email address and fax number, and carry a nonrefundable $30 filing fee; the Department has 30 days to approve or deny.

Annual fees are tiered under § 12-2177(c): $50 for a property with 20 or more rental dwellings, $25 for a property with 4 to 19, and $15 for three or fewer. Under § 12-2178, a new owner inherits the prior registration for only 30 days after the deed records, then must re-register, and information must be updated annually or sooner if the Inspections Director requires it. Section 12-2179 standards require the owner to answer a call from Police, Fire, or Inspections within two business days, name an alternate contact within 25 miles of the city's planning jurisdiction, and keep a current occupant list available to investigators.

Section 12-2179(c) blocks the Public Utilities Department from turning on water for a vacant, unregistered rental dwelling. Owners may appeal a denial or order to the Inspections Director within 30 days under § 12-2182, with further recourse to arbitration and then City Council.