In most of Pinehurst's residential neighborhoods, a home that can legally operate as a short-term rental has something no new listing can gain. Since the Village Council adopted Ordinance #22-15 on October 27, 2022, new short-term rentals have been allowed only in the Hotel and Village Mixed-Use zoning districts, and only with a development permit. A house elsewhere in the Village that was already renting before that date can keep renting as a legal nonconforming use. That status stays with the property when it sells. It also lapses for good if the home goes 365 days or more without short-term rental use.
That makes rental eligibility in residential Pinehurst a resource that can only shrink. The ordinance creates no way for a house in a residential zone to join the pool, and every year without rental use pushes some homes out of it. For a second-home buyer weighing a listing with rental history, or a seller whose home has had a quiet year, the most important fact about the house may be the date of its last rental stay.
The Clock Starts When the Renting Stops
The Village's own guidance lists three ways a nonconforming short-term rental loses its status:
- The property goes 365 days or more without short-term rental use
- The use is extended, enlarged or intensified beyond what the development ordinance allows
- The home is damaged beyond 50% of its replacement cost by something other than an Act of God, after which the use has to meet current rules to be reestablished
The 365-day window is generous by local standards. Under the Village's rewritten Pinehurst Development Ordinance, most nonconforming uses are lost after 120 consecutive days of discontinuance, and certain financial and professional service uses in the Village Commercial district get only 30 days. Short-term rentals sit in their own clause: a nonconforming rental unit "not used for 365 days or more" is deemed discontinued and from then on can only be used for a conforming use.
The wording turns on use. The adopted text sets no separate rule treating an active listing or advertising as operation. A home can stay listed on a booking platform for a full year and still have no stays to show for it.
386 Eligible Homes, 269 Counted as Active
The Village tracks rental activity with Host Compliance by Granicus, a system that scans more than 60 online platforms. As of July 2026, it counted 269 active short-term rentals in Pinehurst. The Village defines "active" as actively advertising with more than 14 occupied nights in the past year. On the same page, the Village reports 386 properties that either hold a valid Non-Conforming Use Certificate or were established as lawful nonconforming uses before the ordinance. In the Village's words, "the number of properties eligible to operate exceeds the number that are actually operating."
That leaves 117 eligible properties outside the active count as of July 2026. Some may host a handful of nights a year, under the 14-night line the Village uses for "active." Others may not be renting at all, and for those the 365-day clock is running.
Data presented to the Village Council shows how many owners sit near that edge. The Pilot reported that 150 rentals had been occupied between one and 11 days in the prior year and 114 between 11 and 21 days. Only one property in the Village had been rented for more than 191 days. Village Manager Doug Willardson read the numbers this way: "most of the short-term rentals in our community are people that are long-term residents that rent out on a short-term basis. Maybe during U.S. Kids (Golf) or other events, things like that."
For an owner who rents only around a few events, a single slow season can come close to a full year without a stay.
| Path | How a property gets there | How it ends |
|---|---|---|
| Legal nonconforming rental in a residential zone | Rented before October 27, 2022, with continuous operation since; NCUC or Zoning Certification documents the status | 365 days or more without rental use, expansion of the use, or non-Act-of-God damage beyond 50% of replacement cost |
| New rental with a development permit | Located in the Hotel or Village Mixed-Use district | Governed by the permit and SR-9 standards |
| 14-day allowance | Any home or accessory dwelling in any zoning district, subject to private covenants | Renting more than 14 days in a calendar year without one of the statuses above |
Where the Sale Itself Gets Complicated
The Village's FAQ says a development permit or Non-Conforming Use Certificate "is tied to the property and can be transferred to the new owner when the property is sold." The FAQ does not explain what happens when a certificate's 365-day window has already run out before the sale. The nonconforming-use section of the adopted development ordinance contains no clause on transfer at sale either way.
Village leaders have discussed that question in public. At the same meeting, The Pilot reported that Councilor Barb Ficklin wants to make sure lapsed certificates are not transferred with a sale, and that she described the purpose of nonconforming status this way:
"I think the whole purpose of nonconformity is to make sure that nonconforming uses, over time, go away — are eliminated."
Councilor Jeff Morgan described his understanding of the ordinance's intent differently: "My understanding was that we're grandfathering the ones (STRs) that are there that are going to continue to operate."
Both readings agree on one point. A rental that keeps operating keeps its status, and a lapsed one is the open question. The timing of a sale makes that matter. Sellers often pause bookings while a home is staged, photographed and shown, and the pause can stretch further if the home sits on the market. Each month without a rental stay counts toward 365 days, and the buyer inherits whatever time has already run.
Enforcement is active. The Village states that Notices of Violation have been issued and that penalties of up to $500 per violation, per day, can apply to properties that are not brought into compliance. According to The Pilot, the tracking software costs the Village $40,000 a year, not counting staff hours.
The 14-Day Allowance and June 2029
Owners without nonconforming status still have one option. The Village's FAQ answers "Can I rent my house during the US Open or other special events?" with yes: owners in any zoning district can rent a home or accessory dwelling for up to 14 days in a calendar year without a development permit, though private covenants may still apply. The Pilot reported that the 14-day threshold was included partly to avoid interfering with U.S. Open home rentals.
The next major test is back-to-back. The USGA lists the 2029 U.S. Women's Open at Pinehurst for June 7 to 10, 2029, and the 2029 U.S. Open for June 14 to 17, 2029. The USGA's 2023 announcement also scheduled U.S. Opens at Pinehurst in 2035, 2041 and 2047.
Two championships about a week apart make for a long stretch of event lodging. A home renting under the 14-day allowance has to fit the stays from both championships inside one calendar-year limit. A home with nonconforming status has no 14-day cap. Its owner does have to keep using that status between championships to hold on to it.
Why the Rules Look Stable Right Now
A buyer paying for rental eligibility will reasonably ask whether the rules are about to change. The most recent evidence points to continuity.
The Village's consolidated development ordinance rewrite was adopted November 18, 2025, and took effect January 5, 2026. It carried forward the 365-day short-term rental discontinuance rule and the more-than-14-days threshold in the definition. It changed the SR-9 occupancy standard to "two (2) persons per bedroom." The Village's FAQ still uses the older "2 adult guests per bedroom" wording, and the adopted ordinance is the controlling text. SR-9 also requires one parking space per bedroom, a smoke detector in every bedroom, a carbon monoxide detector on every floor, no cooking facilities in bedrooms, and rental rules posted at the main entrance.
On February 26, 2026, the Sandhills Sentinel reported that the rewrite was complete. It also reported that the Village's oversight continued through nuisance responses, police coordination and violation notices, with decibel-measuring equipment planned for recurring problem areas and neighborhood signage moving forward.
State law sets the outer limits. In Schroeder v. City of Wilmington, the North Carolina Court of Appeals barred local registration schemes for short-term rentals but left zoning rules on where rentals may operate in place. The UNC School of Government explains it the same way. The Village says it cannot require registration, screening or noise-monitoring devices for that reason. Senate Bill 291, filed in March 2025 to limit city regulation of short-term rentals, was referred to the Senate Rules committee on March 17, 2025, and its bill page shows no later action. No legal challenge to Pinehurst's ordinance has been reported.
The Paperwork Behind a Rental Claim
The window to apply for a new Non-Conforming Use Certificate has closed. Owners who were renting lawfully before October 27, 2022, and have operated continuously without a 365-day gap can apply for a Zoning Certification to document their legal nonconforming status. In a transaction, these records tend to come up:
- The property's Non-Conforming Use Certificate or Zoning Certification
- Records of rental stays showing the most recent dates of use, since the 365-day rule turns on actual use
- The zoning district, checked on the Village's Official Zoning Map
- The community's recorded covenants and any amendments. A draft of the ordinance named Lake Point Condominiums, Pinewild and the Country Club of North Carolina as communities with their own rental regulations, and the Village's rules do not override private restrictions.
How any of these documents applies to a specific property is a question for the Village's planning staff or a real estate attorney.
A Few Direct Answers
Can a new owner start renting a home in a residential zone that never rented before? Only up to 14 days per calendar year. New short-term rentals that go beyond that are limited to the Hotel and Village Mixed-Use districts with a development permit.
Does nonconforming status transfer at closing? The Village says certificates and permits transfer with the property. Whether a lapsed certificate transfers has been raised on the Council and has not been settled in the adopted text.
Where do residents report a rental concern? The Village takes rental-specific concerns at [email protected]. Disturbances go to the police non-emergency line at 910-295-3781.
If a home's rental history is part of what you're buying or selling in Pinehurst, BHGRE Lifestyle Property Partners can help you pull together the status documents, rental dates and covenant records before it matters at closing. Find Your Lifestyle.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
