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.
Rather than a standalone rental registry, Buncombe County regulates short-term lodging through its Zoning Ordinance definitions (Sec. 78-581) and by requiring occupancy-tax registration with the Tax Department. A "vacation rental" is up to two single-family homes totaling no more than 9,000 square feet. Once a property exceeds that size, holds more than two units in common ownership, or scales up, it is classified as a "vacation rental complex" and reviewed as a conditional use. Any operator collecting rent for stays must register with the Buncombe County Tax Department for the room occupancy tax. Towns such as Asheville maintain their own separate homestay/whole-house STR registration programs.
Misclassifying a complex as a simple vacation rental, or failing to register for occupancy tax, exposes an operator to zoning enforcement (Sec. 78-596) and unpaid-tax collection with interest and penalties by the Tax Department.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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