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Is my Surf City rental legal? Checklist

Pender/Onslow County, North Carolina · Based on our Surf City page, last verified Oct 24, 2026 · Print

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📋 The Basics

Can I rent my place short-term here?: Yes, with a license or tax registration
Do I need a permit?: Yes; no town STR permit found.
What taxes do I pay?: Total about 12.75%. Check your Airbnb payout report to see which ones Airbnb collects; you pay the rest yourself.

Your 3 steps to be legal

Confirm Pender vs Onslow side.
Register for town occupancy tax.
File by the 15th.

⚠️ Biggest risk: Paying the wrong county.

Words confusing? See the glossary. Details and official sources are below.

This is the general rule for Surf City. Does your address qualify?

The free info covers the city as a whole. Your property can still be different: zoning can change from one street to the next, and an HOA or condo ban can stop rentals even where the city allows them.

Your $49 Compliance Check looks at your exact property:

Whether your exact address and zone allow short-term rentals
A check of HOA / condo rental restrictions to look for
Which permits and tax accounts you personally need
What you're missing right now
A personal report with clear next steps and official sources, by email
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Permit / license / registration

Permit: No town STR permit found; annual town business registration (July-June) applies to businesses: verify.
Tax: Town room occupancy return due within 15 days after each month.

Zoning, where allowed & definitions

Not listed on our page: Verify with the city/county before renting.

Night limits, minimum stays & occupancy

Not listed on our page: Verify with the city/county before renting.

Fees, penalties & pending changes

Not listed on our page: Verify with the city/county before renting.

Taxes & who collects them

Register / account for NC state sales tax (4.75%)
Register / account for Pender County local sales tax (2%)
Register / account for Surf City occupancy tax (3%)
Register / account for Pender County occupancy tax (3%)
What Airbnb collects: Verify in payouts which taxes your platform remits.
Vrbo and direct bookings: check which taxes Vrbo collects in your area; for direct bookings you collect and remit all of them yourself.

Total rate: 12.75%. 6% in the Pender County part (both paid to the town). Onslow County part: town 3% + Onslow 3% paid to the county: verify. Sales tax 6.75% (NC 4.75% + Pender 2%) per NCDOR. Onslow County part: sales tax 7%. Calculate.

HOA / condo check

Read your declaration, bylaws and rules for rental bans, minimum terms, caps and approval requirements.
Get any association sign-off or approval letter your city or association requires.
See our HOA & condo guide.

Insurance

Confirm your homeowner/condo policy covers short-term rental use, or add a short-term rental policy. Platform host protection is not a substitute for insurance.
Ask your association whether it requires specific liability coverage.

Deadlines

Renew city/county permits or registrations on their schedule (often annually): confirm the date with the office that issued it.
File state and local lodging tax returns on the schedule your tax office assigns.

Official sources

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Not legal or tax advice. Last verified Oct 24, 2026. Rules and rates change: confirm with the official sources linked before you rent or file.