Where short-term rentals are allowed in Pinehurst, NC
Pinehurst did something few North Carolina towns have tried: it stopped the clock. Ordinance 22-15, adopted on 27 October 2022, allows no new use of a residentially zoned property as a short-term rental unless the property was already being used as one in the 365 days before the ordinance passed. Stop letting a grandfathered house for 365 days and the use is treated as discontinued, permanently. What remains is a fixed set of properties operating under a defined list of standards, monitored by a village that says it monitors.[3]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified September 20, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Pinehurst?
Your zoning decides
What you apply for: Short-term rental use under the Pinehurst Development Ordinance
- Seasonal homes
- 723
- Housing units
- 9,540
- Residents
- 18,256
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleAllowed by zone
- City feeNone published
- Tax on each staySet locally
- Seasonal homes76 per 1,000
Pinehurst short-term rental rules
Pinehurst regulates short-term rentals under Ordinance 22-15, which amended the Pinehurst Development Ordinance and was adopted on 27 October 2022. A short-term rental is the use of a dwelling unit for transient lodging of less than thirty consecutive days, totalling more than fourteen days within a calendar year, which means an occasional fortnight is outside the definition. No new use of a residentially zoned property as a short-term rental is permitted unless the property was used as one in the 365 days before the ordinance was adopted, and where a property has not been so used for 365 days or more that use is considered discontinued. The ordinance names the zoning districts where short-term rentals are allowed and sets special requirements, numbered SR-9, covering occupancy limits, parking, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, ventilation and egress. The village says it routinely monitors short-term rental activity, issues notices of violation, and can impose penalties of up to $500 per violation per day where a property is not brought into compliance.[3]
What Pinehurst asks of you
Ordinance 22-15 amended the Pinehurst Development Ordinance to regulate short-term rentals, and was adopted on 27 October 2022.[3]
A short-term rental is the use of a dwelling unit for transient lodging for less than thirty consecutive days, totalling more than fourteen days within a calendar year.[3]
No new use of a residentially zoned property as a short-term rental is permitted unless it was used as one in the 365 days before the ordinance was adopted.[3]
Where a property has not been used as a short-term rental for 365 days or more, that use is considered discontinued.[3]
The ordinance sets out the districts where short-term rentals are allowed and the special requirements known as SR-9, covering occupancy limits, parking, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, ventilation and egress.[3]
The village routinely monitors short-term rental activity, issues notices of violation, and can impose penalties of up to $500 per violation per day until a property complies.[3]
What North Carolina asks wherever you host
These rules apply at this address whatever the city decides.
A North Carolina city may not require you to register a rental property, nor to obtain a permit under its housing or minimum housing codes in order to rent it: G.S. 160D-1207(c) preempts both, and the Court of Appeals enforced that in Schroeder v. City of Wilmington.[1]
What survives is zoning. The court upheld restricting whole-house lodging to named districts, parking requirements, limits on large events, insurance conditions and posted safety information.[1]
Renting a private residence or cottage carries the 4.75% state sales tax plus applicable local and transit rates, and any local occupancy tax a city or county has imposed. A stay of ninety continuous days or more to the same person is outside the tax.[2]
What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in Pinehurst
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[2] | 4.75% | The state revenue department |
| Local and transit sales tax[2] | Not published | The state revenue department |
| Moore County occupancy tax[2] | Not published | The county |
Moore County's occupancy tax rate is not published by the Department of Revenue in a single table. Confirm it with the county before pricing, since the state sales tax applies on top either way.[2]
How short-term rental taxes work for US hostsWhat the census counts
How much of Pinehurst is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 723 of Pinehurst's 9,540 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use — 76 out of every 1,000. That ranks Pinehurst 10th of the 13 North Carolina cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 10th of 13
- Share of housing
- 76 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $476,600
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Pinehurst sits among its neighbors
Brevard, NC
Allowed by zone
397 seasonal homes, 92 per 1,000 housing units.
Rules in BrevardWilmington, NC
Allowed by zone
1,452 seasonal homes, 23 per 1,000 housing units.
Rules in WilmingtonSouthport, NC
Allowed by zone
346 seasonal homes, 140 per 1,000 housing units.
Rules in SouthportAsheville, NC
Allowed by zone
850 seasonal homes, 17 per 1,000 housing units.
Rules in AshevilleFAQ
Pinehurst short-term rental questions
Can I start a new short-term rental in Pinehurst?
What happens if a grandfathered rental sits idle?
Does renting a fortnight a year count?
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 September 20, 2026
- Short-Term Rentals, hot topics, Village of Pinehurst, read on September 20, 2026
This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on September 20, 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
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