ASHEVILLE – After hearing impassioned speeches from community members during a Jan. 22 public comment session on short-term rental regulations, Buncombe County Planning Department Director Nathan Pennington noted the difficulty of imposing regulations on the rental units, often referred to as Airbnb’s — the largest short-term rental business.
“I mean, this is one of the toughest things we’re going to look at,” Pennington said.
In December 2023, over 148,000 people stayed or made bookings in Buncombe County’s short-term vacation rentals — a 68% increase from December 2019, according to data from the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority.
The surge in short-term vacation rentals comes as Buncombe County searches for solutions to rising rent and dwindling housing stock — namely through considering the regulation of short-term vacation rentals.
Rafael Baptista, director of Buncombe County Department of Strategy and Innovation, said the county estimates there are some 6,000 short-term rentals in the county.