Where short-term rentals are allowed in Pinehurst, NC
Pinehurst is closed to new short-term rentals on residentially zoned property, so you can rent only a home that was already rented short term. Keep that home in use, because restarting after a lapse counts as a new use the ordinance does not allow.[4]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 2, 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 October 27, 2022. A short-term rental is the use of a dwelling unit for transient lodging of less than thirty consecutive days. The definition applies only where those stays total more than fourteen days within a calendar year, so an occasional two-week rental falls outside it. No new short-term rental use of a residentially zoned property is permitted unless the property was used as one in the 365 days before adoption. 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. They cover occupancy limits, parking, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, ventilation and egress. The village says it routinely monitors short-term rental activity and issues notices of violation. It can impose penalties of up to $500 per violation per day where a property is not brought into compliance.[4]
What Pinehurst asks of you
Ordinance 22-15 amended the Pinehurst Development Ordinance to regulate short-term rentals, and was adopted on October 27, 2022.[4]
A short-term rental is the use of a dwelling unit for transient lodging for less than thirty consecutive days, totaling more than fourteen days within a calendar year.[4]
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.[4]
Where a property has not been used as a short-term rental for 365 days or more, that use is considered discontinued.[4]
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.[4]
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.[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 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[3] | 4.75% | The state revenue department |
| Local and transit sales tax[3] | 2.25% | 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]
What 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. That is 76 out of every 1,000. It ranks Pinehurst 25th 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
- 25th of 31
- 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
Waynesville, NC
Allowed by zone
485 seasonal homes, 80 per 1,000 housing units.
Waynesville short-term rental rulesBrevard, NC
Allowed by zone
397 seasonal homes, 92 per 1,000 housing units.
Brevard short-term rental rulesWilmington, NC
Allowed by zone
1,452 seasonal homes, 23 per 1,000 housing units.
Wilmington short-term rental rulesHendersonville, NC
No city ordinance
210 seasonal homes, 24 per 1,000 housing units.
Hendersonville short-term rental rulesFAQ
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 two weeks 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 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 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 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.