Raleigh sets short-term rental occupancy through the Unified Development Ordinance together with the North Carolina State Building Code. The common standard is two adult guests per qualifying bedroom plus two additional, not to exceed roughly 10 to 12 total overnight occupants in typical single-family homes. Bedrooms must meet NC Building Code requirements including minimum floor area, emergency egress window, and ceiling height. Infants in cribs are generally excluded from the count. HOAs and condo associations frequently impose stricter occupancy limits than the city.
Short-term rental occupancy in Raleigh follows a combination of three authorities: the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) short-term rental use standards, the North Carolina State Building Code adopted by Raleigh Development Services, and applicable HOA or condo covenants recorded on the property. The UDO limits overnight occupancy by counting legal bedrooms - rooms that have a closet, a window that qualifies as an emergency egress opening, a minimum 70-square-foot floor area, and ceiling height of at least 7 feet for at least half of the room. A room that lacks a code-compliant egress window (such as a finished basement room or a converted attic without a window large enough to exit) does not count toward STR capacity even if it contains a bed and is being marketed as sleeping space.
Raleigh's commonly applied occupancy formula is two guests per qualifying bedroom plus two additional people for the living area, with a cap around 10 to 12 guests for typical single-family home STRs. Very large homes in Brier Creek, Falls River, Bedford, and the Inside-the-Beltline estate streets can exceed that cap only if the STR zoning permit explicitly approves it based on parking capacity, septic or sewer capacity, and distance from adjoining residences. Infants in cribs are generally excluded from the count. Daytime guests - people attending parties, receptions, baby showers, or bachelorette events who do not sleep overnight - are typically capped indirectly by the property's parking supply and by the city's special-event rules; many neighborhood-focused STR hosts simply prohibit parties in their house rules to avoid escalating complaints. HOA covenants in neighborhoods like North Hills, Heritage, and Bedford frequently impose tighter caps than the city, and downtown condo associations sometimes cap total occupancy regardless of bedroom count. Hosts should also consider local life-safety limits: a home with only one means of egress from upstairs bedrooms may warrant a lower maximum than the formula allows, especially when hosting groups with young children or elderly guests who may need more time to evacuate during a fire.
Specific penalty amounts for this ordinance are not published in a publicly accessible fine schedule. Contact Raleigh code enforcement directly for current fines, enforcement procedures, and hearing options.
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