In 2023, North Carolina ranked 10th in the country for the number of cases reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. In an ongoing effort to combat human trafficking across the state, House Bill 973 was passed in 2024, and requires property managers of vacation rentals, their employees, and third-party contractors who perform housekeeping services, food or beverage services on-site, or perform check-in and check-out duties to take human trafficking awareness training.
The North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL) has identified training courses that satisfy the requirement here. For vacation rentals offered for lease prior to July 1, 2025, the training must be completed by June 30, 2027, and be repeated every two years. For vacation rentals offered for lease after July 1, 2025, the training must be completed within 60 days of providing services and repeated every two years. For those who fail to meet the mandatory training requirement, the NCDOL may assess a fine up to $2,000 for each violation. For more information on House Bill 973, see the Commission’s September 2024 eBulletin article on this topic.