All Forum Posts by: Matthew Newby

Thanks Nicholas, I really appreciate your input.

@Nicholas Aiola First, thanks for taking the time out of your day to keep up with this thread! I have a question regarding deductible expenses for my Airbnb business. I rent out my primary residence on weekends through Airbnb, when the house is rented, I sleep in a camper that I've bought for this express purpose. When the house is not rented, I use the camper as an office space. The dining area of the camper is set up exclusively as an office area. The camper has some minor running costs, like propane and electric. Is any of this deductible? I've read some conflicting information that it may be but it could raise some red flags and increase the odds of an audit.

Off to a strong start, keep up the good work!

This is pulled from the Citizen Times from January 2018:

"First, is your property in the city of Asheville? (Are you sure? Don't rely on mailing address. Asheville residences have blue city recycling bins and green city garbage bins with City Hall logos. You can also check here: gis.buncombecounty.org/buncomap_new.)

— If "yes": Are you renting the entire dwelling unit? (A unit with its own sleeping area, kitchen and bathroom.)

— If "yes": Property zoned "Resort"? (Not likely. But here's a zoning map: arcgis.ashevillenc.gov/ZoningMap)

— If "yes": Then, yes. Property "by right" can be a short-term vacation rental, or STVR in city-speak. Contact Asheville Development Services.

— If the property is not zoned "Resort": Is the property already operating as an STVR?

— If "yes": Does it have a city STVR permit? (Check with Asheville Development Services)

— If "yes": Then, yes, your property is eligible. New STVRs are banned in most places including downtown, but permitted ones are "grandfathered in."

— If a property has no permit: No, you cannot rent your whole dwelling unit. But you can go before the City Council and request conditional zoning.

— If you don't plan to rent the entire dwelling unit: It may qualify as a "homestay." Long-term resident must be present in home at the same time as guests, who may rent up to two rooms. Guest rooms cannot have own kitchens. Think you qualify?

— If "yes": Get permit here. Contact Asheville Development Services

— If "no": You can ask City Council for conditional zoning to allow STVR.

If your property is not in the city limits: Check with your local government planning department.

Green Man is definitely on our regular rotation. Catawba and Burial are our favorites by far though. Glad we don't get too much action from hurricanes in our area!

Jealous you live by the beach! We love visiting Charleston and have been thinking of doing our next project in the area. North and South Carolina have reciprocity agreements for licensure so that should make the jump relatively easy for us. We'd love to touch base with some new contacts in the area if you're interested next time we swing through. 

Passed my general contractors exam in October! Plans for our next build are coming along steadily. It's going to be a 3 bed 2 bath with a separate 1 bedroom unit in the basement. We will be house hacking it by moving into the basement 1 bedroom upon completion. We are just now working through the process of subdividing our land and getting a partial lien release from the bank. Lots of work ahead of us but we are super excited.

Good to know, thanks for the input Wayne!