Buncombe County, NC Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)

For vacation rental complexes in the unincorporated county, the Zoning Ordinance caps size and sets health/safety minimums. A complex may include no more than 10 separate vacation rental units; a development of more than 10 units is considered a hotel or motel (except in the Open Use District, where it stays a complex requiring a conditional use permit). Complex standards under Sec. 78-678 require a minimum 20-foot distance between buildings for air, light, privacy and emergency access, and one bathroom for every four guest rooms. Buncombe County's zoning ordinance itself does not set a per-guest maximum for a single vacation rental home; overall occupancy is governed by the state building code and septic (NCGS 130A) capacity.