What hurricane laws mean for vacation rentals in North Carolina

Getting into the vacation rental business started off as a necessity for Ashley Harkrader.

“I became a single mom in 2015, and I needed to figure out how to take care of my daughter,” said Harkrader of Pretty Stays CLT.

She now has almost 100 properties nationwide and most of them are in North Carolina.

According to the North Carolina Department of Commerce, last year there were around 40 million visitors from across the country, ranking North Carolina the fifth-most-visited state. 

With an increase in tourism, property owners like Harkrader think it’s important that state laws protect visitors during hurricane season.

“Because I think we all need to care about each other in situations that none of us can control, and I think that gives us the ability to create a better rapport. So that way, when the time is appropriate for them to travel back to you, they know that you truly believe in their safety and vice versa,” Harkrader said.

The North Carolina Vacation Rental Act says renters must follow mandatory evacuation orders and they are entitled to a prorated refund if they do have to evacuate. There is an exception if someone opts out of insurance that covers the risk of evacuation. If a vacation rental can’t be delivered as promised, renters must be refunded or offered a comparable property. 

“I encourage those individuals who are entering into short-term leases to make sure that they’re reading the leases and what all of their rights and responsibilities are under the lease and paying particular attention to the insurance coverage. Of course, any of the mandatory evacuation orders that may be put in place during this hurricane season,” said Kristen Fetter of the North Carolina Real Estate Commission. 

Harkrader says she knows first-hand why these laws are so essential since one of her properties in Boone was destroyed by Helene. 

“We actually had a family that was going to be staying there, but we obviously refunded and gave them their money back just because we didn’t know what was going to happen,” Harkrader said.