Where short-term rentals are allowed in Brevard, NC
To start a short-term rental in Brevard you need a city zoning permit, and the General Residential zones no longer accept new ones. The city reached that line after years of work by a dedicated short-term rental task force.[4]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 2, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Brevard?
Your zoning decides
What you apply for: Short-term rental or homestay zoning permit
- Seasonal homes
- 397
- Housing units
- 4,329
- Residents
- 7,897
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleAllowed by zone
- City feeNone published
- Tax on each staySet locally
- Seasonal homes92 per 1,000
Brevard NC short-term rental permit
Brevard requires a permit from the city's Planning and Zoning Department for any property proposing to operate a homestay or a short-term rental. The owner or authorized agent secures it. The city treats it as a typical zoning permit taken out before a new short-term rental opens. The permit is temporary. It establishes no vested right to renewal and is valid for one year from the date of issue. The current rules come from Ordinance 2023-37, adopted on August 21, 2023, which amended the Unified Development Ordinance at section 3.6.A.3. That amendment removed short-term rentals from the General Residential zoning districts and allowed them in Corridor Mixed Use and Institutional Campus districts. It grandfathered the rentals already operating. It also added an exemption to the short-term rental definition where a permanent resident lives on site. That is how a homestay is distinguished from a whole-house rental.[4]
What Brevard asks of you
The owner or authorized agent of any property on which a homestay or short-term rental proposes to operate must secure a permit from the Planning and Zoning Department.[4]
Short-term rental and homestay permits are temporary, establish no vested right to renewal, and are valid for one year from the date of issue.[4]
Ordinance 2023-37, adopted on August 21, 2023, amended the Unified Development Ordinance at section 3.6.A.3 to set the current rules.[4]
That amendment eliminated short-term rentals from the General Residential zoning districts and allowed them in the Corridor Mixed Use and Institutional Campus districts.[4]
Short-term rentals already operating were grandfathered in under the new rules.[4]
The amendment added an exemption to the definition of a short-term rental where a permanent resident lives on site, which is what separates a homestay from a whole-house rental.[4]
What North Carolina asks wherever you host
These rules apply at this address whatever the city decides.
Under G.S. 160D-1207(c), no North Carolina city can make registration a condition of renting your property. Demanding a housing-code permit before you rent is barred as well. The Court of Appeals applied that rule in Schroeder v. City of Wilmington.[1]
Zoning is what remains. In that case the court let a city keep whole-house lodging inside named districts. Parking rules survived too, as did limits on large events. So did insurance conditions and posted safety information.[1]
Renting out a private residence or cottage owes North Carolina's 4.75% sales tax. Sales tax stops once a single guest has stayed ninety days in a row.[3]
Local and transit rates of sales tax apply as well. Any occupancy tax levied by a city or county comes on top.[2]
What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in Brevard
Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.
| Layer | Rate | Remitted to |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina state sales tax[3] | 4.75% | The state revenue department |
| Local and transit sales tax[3] | 2% | The state revenue department |
| Transylvania County occupancy tax[2] | Not published | The county |
Transylvania County's occupancy tax is not published by the Department of Revenue in a single table, so confirm the rate with the county. The 4.75% state rate and local sales tax apply regardless.[3]
What the census counts
How much of Brevard is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 397 of Brevard's 4,329 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 92 out of every 1,000. It ranks Brevard 23rd of the 31 North Carolina cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 23rd of 31
- Share of housing
- 92 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $450,000
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Brevard sits among its neighbors
Waynesville, NC
Allowed by zone
485 seasonal homes, 80 per 1,000 housing units.
Waynesville short-term rental rulesSouthport, NC
Allowed by zone
346 seasonal homes, 140 per 1,000 housing units.
Southport short-term rental rulesPinehurst, NC
Allowed by zone
723 seasonal homes, 76 per 1,000 housing units.
Pinehurst short-term rental rulesNags Head, NC
Allowed by zone
1,668 seasonal homes, 316 per 1,000 housing units.
Nags Head short-term rental rulesFAQ
Brevard short-term rental questions
Can I run a short-term rental in a Brevard residential zone?
How long does a Brevard permit last?
What is a homestay in Brevard?
Sources
- Short-Term Rental Regulations after Schroeder, Coates' Canons, UNC School of Government, read on September 20, 2026
- Rentals of Accommodations, Sales and Use Tax, North Carolina Department of Revenue, read on October 2, 2026
- Sales and Use Tax Bulletins, January 2026 (SUTB 1 and SUTB 6, Accommodations), North Carolina Department of Revenue, read on October 2, 2026
- Short-Term Rental Task Force and UDO amendments, City of Brevard, read on September 20, 2026
This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on October 2, 2026. Rules can change after that date, so check with the issuing office before you apply or publish a listing.
Before you list
Free tools for new hosts
Short-term rental agreement generator
Parties, dates, rent, deposit checked against your state's cap, and the house rules clauses you enforce. A signed-ready PDF for direct and Vrbo bookings.
Airbnb host fee calculator
What Airbnb's 15.5% single fee takes from a booking, and the nightly rate that keeps your payout after the split fee.
Airbnb cleaning checklist generator
Build a printable turnover checklist by room, with restock, photos to take and a place for the cleaner to sign. Free PDF, no sign-up.
Check-in instructions
The message a guest reads before getting in: access, keys, WiFi, parking, contact. English or bilingual output.