Laws of the land

Posted on by Brooke Randle

The City of Asheville implemented restrictions on short-term rentals (STR) in 2015, which allowed residents to rent up to two rooms on a short-term basis while living in the same house. Simultaneously, the city banned whole-house rentals of less than 30 days in residential areas, with exceptions for operators renting prior to the ordinance’s adoption or who received conditional zoning approval. Asheville City Council further tightened the rules in 2018, outlawing new whole-house STRs in most commercial districts. Violators face a $500-per-day fine.

STR operators in Buncombe County and outside city limits, however, have enjoyed few restrictions when renting their properties. Operators must apply for a one-time permit but otherwise have the option to rent out entire homes and are not required to live on the property or even within the state.

The latest version of the ordinance laid out in April would have banned future short-term rentals, including both whole-house and rentals within the owner’s primary residence throughout Buncombe County unless they were located within commercial zones or in an open-use district. 

Short-term rentals would be prohibited in all mobile home parks and within attached dwelling units, such as duplexes, townhomes or multifamily units. Travel trailers, recreational vehicles, sheds, vehicles and tents would also be banned from short-term rental use. A full list of the draft proposal can be found at avl.mx/dy0. 

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.