City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Winston-Salem, NC
How Winston-Salem 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.
- Forsyth County levies a 6% room occupancy and tourism development tax on rentals of rooms, lodging or similar accommodations, reaching STR stays
- No STR-specific use classification, registration or permit in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth UDO
- Whole-home STR operates as ordinary single-family residential use; no cap and no residency requirement
- Bed and Breakfast special-use permit applies only to that separate owner-occupied use
Based on: Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Unified Development Ordinance (UDO ClearCode), Ch. 5 Principal Use Table (5.1.5)
Summary of the rule
Nonoccupancy Related Receipts are those receipts from retail sales not derived from rental of rooms, lodging or similar accommodations. ... Occupancy Tax Due- Multiply amount of Line 6 by 6%. [Form title: FORSYTH COUNTY ROOM OCCUPANCY AND TOURISM DEVELOPMENT TAX REPORT; Make check payable to: FORSYTH COUNTY]
Last reviewed Oct 23, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Winston-Salem · system last checked Oct 25, 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.