Buncombe County, NC Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Buncombe County, NC, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Code
- Buncombe County Zoning Ord. Ch. 78
- Single vacation rental
- Permitted use, most districts
- Complex
- Conditional use permit needed
- 10+ units
- Treated as hotel/motel
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county only
Summary
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.
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.
Full Breakdown
Buncombe County's Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 78) regulates short-term lodging as "vacation rentals" and "vacation rental complexes" in the unincorporated county. Under the district use tables (Sec. 78-641), a plain vacation rental is a permitted use (P) in most residential and open-use districts, while a vacation rental complex is a conditional use (C) requiring board of adjustment approval. Any development of more than 10 vacation rental units is treated as a hotel/motel except in the Open Use (OU) District, where it is a complex and must obtain a conditional use permit under Sec. 78-678. A certificate of zoning compliance (Sec. 78-598) is required before use. Inside Asheville, Weaverville, Black Mountain and other towns, the town's own STR rules govern instead.
Violations & Fines
Operating a vacation rental complex without the required conditional use permit or zoning compliance certificate is a zoning violation enforced by the Buncombe County Zoning Administrator under Sec. 78-596, subject to abatement and civil penalties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to run a short-term rental in unincorporated Buncombe County?
Do county rules apply inside Asheville?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Buncombe County
How Buncombe County compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Buncombe County to another location·View the North Carolina short-term rentals overview
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