Owner questions, answered plainly.

Fees and terms

What is Host Carolina's management fee?

25% of booking revenue for full management: the nightly rate plus the guest fees for extra guests and pets. Co-hosting is 10% of booking revenue plus $175 a month for software and systems.

Is the fee charged on gross revenue or on profit?

On booking revenue, meaning the nightly rate and the extra-guest and pet fees. Not on profit, and not on the cleaning fee, which goes to the cleaner.

Does the fee include cleaning, laundry and restocking?

Cleaning is paid by the guest through the cleaning fee on each stay and done by our crews. Laundry is part of the turnover. Restocking of consumables is scheduled by us and the supplies are itemized on your statement.

Are there setup, onboarding, annual or smart-lock fees?

Our full-management rate is 25% of booking revenue and nothing else comes out of your bookings. If the house needs something before it can open, a lock, a detector, a deep clean, you see the cost and approve it first; it is itemized, not bundled into a fee.

Who pays the cleaning fee?

The guest, on every booking, as a separate line in their total. It covers the turnover clean. Cleans no guest paid for, after an owner stay for instance, are yours and are itemized.

Is 25% excessive?

Only if we do not book more than a cheaper manager. Against a 20% manager we need to book 7% more to leave you the same net; against 15%, 13% more. Our own homes run 30% or more ahead of their comps. The arithmetic is in Is a higher management fee worth it?

Are there hidden fees or markups on repairs?

Repairs are invoiced separately and itemized by job on your statement. You approve anything over $500. Emergencies, or anything that would mean refunding a guest, are fixed first up to $1,000 and you hear about it right away.

How long is the agreement and how do I end it?

12 months, with 60 days' written notice to end it from either side. Bookings already on the calendar are handed over cleanly.

When and how am I paid?

Around check-in, on one monthly statement that shows every booking, every fee and every repair, itemized by job.

Revenue

How much does a vacation rental make in the High Country?

Over the last twelve months the median 3-bedroom earned about $63,000 in Blowing Rock, $55,700 in Boone, $45,900 in Banner Elk, $35,900 on Beech Mountain and $30,100 on Sugar Mountain, including guest-paid cleaning fees. The full table by bedroom count is on the revenue check.

How much does an Airbnb make in Charlotte?

The median entire-home listing earned about $19,200 with 2 bedrooms, $22,500 with 3, $26,600 with 4 and $44,000 with 5 over the last twelve months, including cleaning fees. Lake Norman homes earn more: about $52,900 with 4 bedrooms and $85,700 with 5.

How many nights a year will my home book?

Average occupancy across listings runs from about 31% on Beech Mountain and 36% on Sugar Mountain to 63% in Boone and 68% in Rock Hill. Revenue is occupancy times rate, and a ski home at 35% occupancy can out-earn a Piedmont home at 65%.

Which bedroom count performs best?

In the mountains revenue climbs with size: a 6-bedroom in Blowing Rock earned about $110,900 at the median against $48,600 for a 2-bedroom. In the Piedmont the medians are flatter and a bigger house is not always a better earner; a 4-bedroom in Union County earned about $30,200 against $31,000 for a 3-bedroom.

What about winter and the holidays?

On Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain, December, January and February carry more than 40% of the year's revenue. In Blowing Rock and Boone the strongest months are July, October and December. High Country seasonality has the month-by-month shares.

How is the revenue projection calculated?

From what comparable entire-home listings with the same bedroom count actually earned in your town over the last twelve months, adjusted for amenities, capacity, baths and finish through Host Carolina's market data system and pricing comparison tool. The low end is what the market supports today; the high end adds 30%, which is how our own homes perform against their comps.

What does 'occupancy vs market' mean and how do you measure it?

We compare annual booking revenue, including cleaning fees, against the median for entire-home listings with the same bedroom count inside the same town, over the trailing twelve months. The method and its caveats are in How we measure.

Is the market saturated?

Charlotte has more than a thousand entire-home listings in several bedroom counts and the medians are flat, so it rewards operation over the house. Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain carry large supplies of older condos, so the gap between the median and the top 10% is the widest in the region. Supply is a reason to run the home well, not a reason not to.

What are the overhead costs?

Utilities, insurance written for short-term rental use, HOA dues, supplies, repairs, linen and furniture replacement, platform fees and management. They vary too much by house to print a typical figure; the P&L on the revenue check lets you enter your own. Operating costs walks through each line.

Switching

Should I switch managers or self-manage?

Run the revenue check and compare your last twelve months with the median for your town and size. If you are under the median, the switch pays for itself on revenue. If you are above it and happy, stay. If you want to keep the margin and live near the house, co-hosting is the middle path.

How hard is it to switch?

One notice letter and about 60 days. We handle the handoff with your current manager, walk the house for you, rebuild or take over the listing, and load every existing booking. The steps are in How to switch managers.

What happens to future bookings and deposits?

The bookings stay on your calendar and are honored at their original price. Under North Carolina's Vacation Rental Act (G.S. 42A), advance rent held in trust for those stays must be transferred to the new manager within 30 days of the change.

Do I keep my listing, reviews and photos?

If the listing is on your own account, yes, all of it. If it is on your current manager's account, it depends on your agreement; ask for the listing and photos to be transferred. With us, your home keeps its history when you leave.

How long is a typical contract and what does it cost to leave?

Twelve months is common. Some agreements auto-renew for a year, allow notice only at the anniversary, or charge about $1,000 to leave early. Ours is 12 months with 60 days' notice from either side and no exit fee.

When is the best time of year to switch?

Into a slow month. In the High Country, give notice in January or February so the handover lands in March or April. Around Lake Norman and Charlotte, the slow months are January and February.

What's included

Who sets the rates and how often?

An owner of the company, every day, using dynamic pricing plus our own market data. The same review keeps our homes 30% or more ahead of their comps.

Which channels do you list on?

Airbnb and Vrbo, synced so a booking on one blocks the other.

Who answers when I text?

An owner of the company, usually within the hour and always the same day. Call or text (828) 478-8024.

Who cleans and fixes the house?

Our own crews, based in the High Country and the Charlotte area. Repairs happen this week, not when a contractor is willing to make the drive.

Can you handle same-day turnovers?

Yes; it is the normal case on a busy calendar. Local crews are the reason it works.

What is peak-season prep?

Before leaf season and before ski season we walk the house, service the hot tub and HVAC, check detectors and extinguishers, stock firewood and salt where it applies, and fix the list. You approve the costs first.

Do you help with furnishing and design?

Yes. Our head designer sets up every one of our own homes to be the one guests choose first, and advises on yours: sleeping arrangements, photos, what to buy and what not to.

How do you handle winter in the mountains?

Heat floors with thermostat alerts, insulated and heat-taped lines, a plow and salt for the driveway, hot tub service, an outage plan in the house manual, and a person who checks empty houses during a deep freeze. Winter operations has the full list.

What is co-hosting and who is it for?

Pricing, listing sync and our systems for 10% of booking revenue plus $175 a month, while you stay the host and keep guests, cleaning and the house. For owners who live near the home and like running it. Co-hosting has the details.

Rules and taxes

Can I rent my house short-term in my town?

In most of our markets, yes. Boone is the exception: whole-home vacation rentals are allowed only in four business districts, with a $530 annual zoning permit. Blowing Rock publishes a zoning map. State law stops towns from requiring registration. Town by town.

Are there caps on rental days or primary-residence rules?

Not in any of our markets on a government source we have found. Boone's homestay category requires the resident to be present, which is a different thing from a cap. We confirm the current rules for your address before listing.

Can my HOA ban short-term rentals?

It depends on the covenants and how a ban was adopted. In two 2024 cases, as reported, the NC Court of Appeals declined to enforce bans added by amendment. Read your covenants; the HOA guide says what to look for.

What taxes apply, and does the platform collect them?

State and local sales tax (8.25% in Mecklenburg since July 1, 2026) plus a county or town occupancy tax of 0% to about 8%. The platforms remit some taxes for some addresses; whoever collected the guest's payment owes the rest. Rates by town are in Who files occupancy tax.

Who files the occupancy tax?

Whoever collects the guest's payment. When we manage your home, we file and remit, and the tax shows on your statement.

Does Charlotte require a permit?

As of the last public reporting, no. Proposed rules were dropped from the UDO draft until state law settles; we have not confirmed the current status on a city source. Charlotte rules.

What safety equipment is required?

Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, extinguishers and the like. Beech Mountain can levy civil penalties for missing life-safety equipment and requires an annual affidavit by January 1. We check every home at the walkthrough and before each season.

Can I rent a second cabin on the same land?

Zoning and septic capacity decide it, and the answer differs by county. We check it for your parcel before promising anything; a second unit can also change which town rules apply.

Owner use

Can I use my home whenever I want?

Yes, with notice. Family weeks are set with you in writing before the calendar opens, and you can add time whenever dates are open. We show you what a block is likely to cost in revenue before you decide. Owner use.

What do statements show?

Every booking with its dates and amount, every fee, the taxes remitted, and every repair itemized by job. One page a month.

Do I approve repairs?

Anything over $500, yes, before the work. Emergencies and anything that would mean refunding a guest are fixed first up to $1,000 and you are told right away.

What guest rules do you set: minimum age, pets, events?

Set with you at onboarding. Where a town sets a rule it is the floor: Boone requires renters to be 21 or older. Pets and events are your call; both change who books and what they pay, and we will tell you how.

Damage and insurance

Who pays for guest damage?

You are covered with guest damage protection up to $1,500. Above that, we document everything at checkout and pursue the guest through the platform's process.

What insurance do I need?

A policy written for short-term rental use; a primary-residence or long-term-rental policy may not cover it. Tell your carrier what the house is. We are not insurance advisers and do not sell policies.

What if the well or septic fails mid-season?

We move or refund the affected guests, get our crew or a specialist out that day, and tell you before we spend over the emergency limit. Repairs are itemized. Nobody waits a week for someone willing to drive up.

Onboarding

How long until my home is live?

It depends on what the house needs. The walkthrough, photos, listing build, pricing and crew setup run in parallel, and you get a target date after the walkthrough.

Do I need to live nearby or be there for the walkthrough?

No. Most of our owners live out of state. We walk the house for you, send photos and a short list of anything it needs, and you approve every cost before guests arrive.

What does it cost up front?

The 25% starts with the first booking and nothing else comes out of your bookings. If the house needs work before it opens, you see each item and approve it first.

How do I reach a person?

Call or text (828) 478-8024 or email welcome@hostcarolina.com. One of the two owners of the company answers, usually within the hour and always the same day.