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South Carolina Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Laws 2026

LawfulStay tracks short-term rental (STR / Airbnb / Vrbo / holiday let / vacation rental) regulations for 11 jurisdictions across South Carolina. Select a city below for current permit requirements, tax rates, and compliance details.

4 Active 5 Restricted 2 Pending

South Carolina Airbnb & Vacation Rental Regulation Overview

The short-term rental regulatory landscape in South Carolina encompasses 11 tracked jurisdictions: 4 with active regulations, 5 with restrictions, 2 with pending legislation. Hosts operating on platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com should verify local requirements before listing, as rules vary significantly between cities and regions.

Approximately 100% of tracked jurisdictions in South Carolina require some form of permit, license, or registration for short-term rental operations. Requirements range from simple online registration to comprehensive permit applications with inspections.

Tax obligations apply in 9 of 11 jurisdictions. Common taxes include occupancy taxes, tourist levies, and sales taxes. Many jurisdictions require hosts to register for tax collection, and some platforms like Airbnb collect and remit taxes automatically in select locations.

Cities with significant restrictions on vacation rentals include Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Greenville. These jurisdictions typically impose permit caps, zoning limitations, or primary residence requirements.

LawfulStay monitors South Carolina STR regulations daily and updates this page as rules change. Each city page includes detailed permit requirements, fee schedules, tax rates, zoning rules, and penalty information sourced from official government websites.

Beaufort
New comprehensive STR ordinance passed unanimously by Beaufort City Council on April 28, 2026, per City Code Section 3.6.2.C.2, establishing density caps (3% hi…
Restricted
Charleston
Multi-step process: application + documentation (floor plan, site plan, parking, photos) → 15-day public notice posting + 5-day appeal window → fire safety insp…
Restricted
Greenville
Significant zoning overhaul took effect July 15, 2023. STRs are classified under the 'General Lodging' use category. Properties outside city limits fall under G…
Restricted
Kiawah Island
Revised STR ordinance passed by Kiawah Island Town Council in 2019; became effective January 1, 2020. Properties renting for less than 30 consecutive days requi…
Restricted
Myrtle Beach
STRs must comply with zoning, business-license ordinance, and applicable trash/parking/noise/occupancy rules. A 2024/2025 conversion-overlay ordinance bans conv…
Restricted
Folly Beach
Folly Beach has an existing voter-approved cap on short-term rentals that remains in effect. The city is now conducting a comprehensive study examining whether …
Active
Forest Acres
The City of Forest Acres adopted updated STR regulations under City Council vote in December 2025, codified in UDO Section 3.14. Any property owner renting a sh…
Active
Hilton Head Island
Hilton Head Island requires all short-term rentals to hold a valid town permit and pay associated fees. Currently, 1 in 3 STRs are behind on permit fees, and th…
Active
Isle of Palms
All property owners renting residential units for any length of time must obtain an Isle of Palms STR business license. The short-term rental ordinance specifie…
Active
Columbia
Columbia City Council held a work session on March 16, 2026 to discuss proposed amendments to its short-term rental regulations. The original rules were approve…
Pending
North Charleston
North Charleston is in the process of amending its STR ordinance. The key proposed changes would end the practice of transferring STR permits when a property se…
Pending