City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Beaufort, NC
How Beaufort regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Short-term rentals here are subject to registration, a lodging tax, or a small number of operating rules.
- Carteret County levies a 6% occupancy tax on room, lodging and house rentals, including Airbnb and VRBO stays
- No STR-specific permit, registration or density cap in the Town of Beaufort code
- Whole-home rental is a residential dwelling use; no owner-occupancy or minimum-stay rule
Based on: Town of Beaufort Land Development Ordinance (4-2024), adopted by reference at Code Ch. 152 §152.01; no STR-specific
Summary of the rule
The Occupancy Tax also applies to rooms or houses rented by individuals through websites including, but not limited to, Airbnb, VRBO, Windu, Rooorama, etc.
Active litigation / open question
Schroeder v. City of Wilmington (N.C. Ct. App., 2022-NCCOA-210, decided Apr. 5, 2022) — City STR registration + density cap (2% / separation) struck as beyond municipal zoning authority; STR treated as residential use. Controlling NC ceiling — nets out registration/caps statewide. 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 Oct 23, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Beaufort · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
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City Watch tracks changes from public sources — council agendas, state bills, local news — not a complete legal compendium.
A city permit is not the whole picture — HOA, condominium, deed, or lease rules may be stricter.
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.