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 in the Asheville market area is 62%. average monthly revenue in the Asheville market area is $4,141. average daily rate in the Asheville market area is $248. the top operator in the Asheville market area is Greybeard Rentals with 162 listings. market score is 93/100 (grade A).
Market data reflects the wider Asheville market, which covers 15 areas. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Asheville.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA 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 StaySTRA overall market score is 93.09 out of 100, with revenue growth at 90.98 and investability at 69.69.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 39% |
| Feb | 47% |
| Mar | 56% |
| Apr | 56% |
| May | 57% |
| Jun | 64% |
| Jul | 68% |
| Aug | 61% |
| Sep | 58% |
| Oct | 63% |
| Nov | 55% |
| Dec | 55% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Asheville are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Asheville market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Asheville market as a whole, which includes Asheville, so these counts are not Asheville-only figures.
| # | 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 nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Asheville are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 41.1% |
| vrbo | 5.4% |
| both | 53.5% |
Home Value Trends (Asheville)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Asheville are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Asheville — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
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 StaySTRA 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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Are Airbnb and vacation rentals legal in Asheville, NC?
What taxes apply to Asheville vacation rentals?
How much can an Asheville vacation rental earn per month?
When is the best season for Asheville short-term rentals?
How did Hurricane Helene affect the Asheville STR market?
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