City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Asheville, NC
How Asheville regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Rules here limit which homes may operate as short-term rentals, how many, where, or for how many nights a year.
- Whole-house non-owner-occupied STR zoned out of residential
- Homestay (owner-occupied, max 2 rooms) permitted by right
- Whole-unit STR confined to resort (RS) and limited commercial
- Homestay permit with annual renewal, inspection, and insurance
Based on: Asheville Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) Sec.7-16-1 — Short-Term Rental / Homestay use-specific standards
Summary of the rule
Homestay = resident-occupied dwelling, up to 2 guest rooms, use subordinate/incidental; permitted by right (with standards) in nearly all districts where residential is a permitted primary use (excludes Light Industrial/Industrial/Airport)
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Active litigation / open question
Schroeder v. City of Wilmington (2022-NCCOA-210 (COA21-192)) — Held §160D-1207(c) preempts local STR REGISTRATION schemes but declined to exempt rentals from zoning/permitting; STR zoning-district restrictions + operational standards upheld. Sets the boundary Asheville's zoning-based homestay framework must stay within; homestay permit's registration-like features sit near that line. Source ↗
Reported as fact only, reflecting the code as currently in effect — not legal advice, and not a prediction of the outcome. Verify current status before relying on it.
Last reviewed Sep 8, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Asheville · system last checked Oct 13, 2026
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City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.