Asheville, North Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
Asheville STRs averaged $218/night at 55.2% occupancy in April 2026, with revenue up 14.7% year over year.
Quick Answer: Asheville, North Carolina is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 55%. average monthly revenue is $3,302. average daily rate is $218. the top operator is Greybeard Rentals with 162 listings. market score is 93/100 (grade A).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Asheville, NC draws an estimated 14 million visitors annually to its Blue Ridge Mountain setting, arts scene, and culinary reputation, supporting a short-term rental market of approximately 6,999 tracked listings. As of April 2026, the average daily rate across all Asheville STR listings was $218.19, with average occupancy at 55.2% and RevPAR at $120.48. Revenue per listing averaged $3,302 in April.
Entire-place listings account for the large majority at 6,645 (94.9% of the total), with private rooms at 352 and shared rooms at 2. Channel distribution is Airbnb-dominant: 2,880 Airbnb-only listings, 375 VRBO-only, and 3,744 appearing on both platforms.
Bedroom mix skews toward smaller units: 1-bedroom properties lead at 2,593 listings, followed by 2-bedroom (1,682), 3-bedroom (1,497), 4-bedroom (671), and 5-plus bedroom (552). This reflects Asheville’s character as a couples and small-group destination rather than a large-family villa market.
Year-over-year performance in April 2026 was notably strong: occupancy up 5.22 percentage points and revenue up 14.66%, with ADR up 1.76%. These gains reflect partial recovery following Hurricane Helene’s September 2024 impact, which disrupted Q4 2024 tourism and reduced active listings by approximately 20% by mid-2025. The Apivex overall market score is 93.09 out of 100, with revenue growth at 90.98 and investability at 69.69.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39% | $171 | $2,049 |
| Feb | 47% | $172 | $2,040 |
| Mar | 56% | $183 | $2,859 |
| Apr | 56% | $186 | $2,883 |
| May | 58% | $188 | $2,944 |
| Jun | 64% | $201 | $3,477 |
| Jul | 68% | $201 | $3,826 |
| Aug | 61% | $195 | $3,430 |
| Sep | 58% | $190 | $2,972 |
| Oct | 63% | $204 | $3,268 |
| Nov | 55% | $196 | $2,764 |
| Dec | 55% | $196 | $2,869 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Asheville
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greybeard Rentals | 162 | 3,953 | ★ 4.86 |
| 2 | Evolve | 155 | 9,200 | ★ 4.79 |
| 3 | Yonder | 143 | 8,226 | ★ 4.84 |
| 4 | Towns Property Management | 131 | 17,027 | ★ 4.82 |
| 5 | Carolina Mornings | 119 | 6,588 | ★ 4.80 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Asheville?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 2,593 |
| 2 bed | 1,682 |
| 3 bed | 1,497 |
| 4 bed | 671 |
| 5 bed | 552 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $225 |
| Luxury | $380 |
| Professionally Managed | $315 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $2,746 |
| Entire Place | $3,396 |
| House | $3,519 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 41.1% |
| vrbo | 5.4% |
| both | 53.5% |
Investment Analysis
Asheville’s STR investment picture is shaped by three factors: a high home price relative to revenue, strict city-limit regulations, and a post-Helene recovery dynamic.
At a typical Asheville home value of $461,425 (Zillow, April 2026) and an April average revenue of $3,302 per listing, the annualized gross revenue runs approximately $39,624 against a $461,425 entry cost, producing a gross yield of roughly 8.6%. That is a market-average calculation and reflects the regulatory constraint: most Asheville city-limit properties can only operate as Homestays (owner-present, 1-2 bedrooms), not as fully unhosted whole-home rentals.
Properties that qualify for unhosted operation, specifically those in the Resort Zoning District or holding pre-2018 grandfathered status, or located in unincorporated Buncombe County outside city limits, can access the full revenue profile. Houses averaged $3,519 per month in April; professionally managed listings averaged $314.91 ADR versus the market average of $218.19, a 44% premium.
Luxury-tier listings averaged $380.06 per night, 74% above the overall market average. The professionally managed ADR of $314.91 versus the entire-home tier ADR of $224.95 illustrates that experienced operators are capturing substantially better rates.
Year-over-year revenue growth of 14.66% in April 2026 is a recovery signal. The 2025 annual average was $3,261 per month, following a 2024 average of $3,195 that was compressed by the hurricane. The housing market shows limited inventory at 840 active listings, a sale-to-list ratio of 0.802, and 64 median days to pending, suggesting deliberate pricing relative to list.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Asheville STR bookings show an average lead time of 45 days and an average length of stay of 3.66 nights as of April 2026.
The 45-day lead time is shorter than large theme-park markets, reflecting Asheville’s character as a regional drive-to destination. Guests from the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic tend to book more spontaneously than international theme-park travelers. This shorter window means Asheville operators have less pricing lead time and need to watch the 30-45 day booking pace closely.
The 3.66-night average stay is also shorter than resort markets, consistent with a long-weekend travel pattern rather than a week-long vacation. For a 30-night month at 55.2% occupancy (approximately 16.6 booked nights), a 3.66-night average stay implies roughly four to five check-in/check-out cycles.
For calendar management, weekend-anchored pricing (Friday-Sunday premium rates) and a 2-3 night minimum stay policy tends to work well for this profile. Open midweek nights can often be filled with 1-2 night last-minute bookings without a minimum, helping occupancy without compressing weekend rate integrity.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Asheville has among the most restrictive STR regulations in the Southeast. Within city limits, whole-home vacation rentals have been prohibited in residential zoning districts since January 2018.
The only legal residential-zone path is a Homestay Permit under UDO Sec. 7-16-1: the operator must be a full-time primary resident of the property, be physically present during all guest stays, and rent no more than two bedrooms per visit. Guests must stay fewer than 30 consecutive days. The permit fee is approximately $208, billed after submission, with annual renewal and inspection required. The city limits one permit per person, household, LLC, trust, or other entity.
Whole-home Short-Term Vacation Rentals (STVRs) are only permitted in the Resort Zoning District or under pre-2018 grandfathered nonconforming status. Grandfathered properties trade at premium prices. Enforcement is rated strict, with fines up to $500 per day for violations and a dedicated compliance officer.
Detached accessory structures are not eligible for new Homestay Permits; permits issued before December 14, 2021 for detached structures may continue under their original terms.
Occupancy tax is 6%. No maximum nights per year is published for Homestay permits.
In unincorporated Buncombe County (outside Asheville city limits), STRs face far fewer restrictions. Proposed 2024 county rules that would have banned new whole-home rentals in residential zones were suspended indefinitely after Hurricane Helene. Investors targeting unhosted whole-home operations in the Asheville area should focus on unincorporated Buncombe County or the Resort Zoning District.
Market Comparison
At $218.19 ADR and 55.2% occupancy, Asheville sits near the national STR median ADR (approximately $220) but slightly above median occupancy (approximately 55%). RevPAR of $120.48 is roughly in line with mid-tier destination markets nationally.
The Apivex total market score of 93.09 is high, driven by revenue growth at 90.98 and seasonality at 86.67. Investability at 69.69 reflects the regulatory burden within city limits. The regulation score of 74.60 acknowledges that Buncombe County outside city limits offers a workable environment for investors.
Professional management in Asheville is dominated by smaller, locally specialized operators. The top five by listing count are: Greybeard Rentals (162 listings, 3,953 reviews, 4.861 average rating), Evolve (155 listings, 9,200 reviews, 4.789 rating), Yonder (143 listings, 8,226 reviews, 4.838 rating), Towns Property Management (131 listings, 17,027 reviews, 4.815 rating), and Carolina Mornings (119 listings, 6,588 reviews, 4.797 rating). All five top operators maintain ratings above 4.78, reflecting a quality-oriented management culture.
Notably, the top operator (Greybeard at 162 listings) manages only about 2.3% of the total market, indicating a fragmented competitive landscape where independent operators and smaller firms hold the majority of inventory.
Frequently Asked Questions About Asheville, North Carolina
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