Short-term rentals in Beaufort, explained properly.

This is the sequence on the City's STR page. Sec. 7-18003 separately requires an STR addendum with the business license application, and the City's packet says the unit should not be used as a short-term rental until a business license is issued. Contact the Business License office for the current forms.

The $100 and $50 amounts are on the City's STR page, which shows no date or fee schedule. The packet's application form is marked updated November 3, 2017 and lists the $1,000 fee for units operating without approval before the application; the business license pages in the packet give an $85 base fee for the first year, with renewals based on the prior year's gross revenue. Sec. 7-18002(q) requires an annual short term rental fee set by City Council, and the amount was not in the pages read. No current fee schedule was read, so these amounts are unconfirmed.

Sec. 7-18002(o).

Sec. 7-18002(k). For properties subject to restrictive covenants, the applicant needs written confirmation from the homeowners association president that short term rentals are permitted on the property. If the president fails or refuses to give it, or there is no active association, the owner must provide other documentation confirming that short term rentals are not prohibited on the property. For multifamily structures and developments, the property management must give written approval of the proposed short term rental.

Sec. 7-18002(a)(1) and (2). The cap is a share of the allowable parcels in each area, and the chapter does not define how the City counts them; ask the Business License office for the current count. Permits issued under the special exceptions do not count toward the caps. The City's STR page and an older excerpt in its packet still describe a 6% neighborhood cap that excludes The Point; this page follows Chapter 18, adopted April 28, 2026, and the older figures are logged for review.

Sec. 7-18002(a)(3).

Sec. 7-18002(a)(4) and (s)(3). To get the exception the applicant must also show the property was purchased or developed with reasonable reliance on the ability to maintain multiple STRs, and that the exception will not materially undermine the purposes of the chapter, including the citywide cap, adjacency requirements or neighborhood character. The review body may attach conditions.

Sec. 7-18002(b). Distance is measured from the closest point between the boundary lines of the parcels on which the STRs are located. The text does not give the chapter's effective date; the ordinance was adopted April 28, 2026.

Sec. 7-18002(d). The STR definition covers rentals for periods of less than 30 days.

Sec. 7-18002(c). The list is introduced with "to include without limitation".

Sec. 7-18002(s)(1). The property must have been on the official abandoned and/or dilapidated list at any time between January 1, 2025 and April 28, 2026, and acquired by the current owner during that same period, brought into full compliance with applicable building, safety and zoning requirements, and have a certificate of occupancy or final inspection approval. The exemption applies only to the initial purchaser who rehabilitated the property and does not run with the land; a later conveyance subjects the STR to the caps and rules then in effect, with a one-year period to complete renovations.

Sec. 7-18002(s)(2). The chapter calls this a one-time exception of conveyance.

Sec. 7-18002(p) and the definition of designated agent in Sec. 7-18001. Only the owner or designated agent may submit the STR addendum (Sec. 7-18003(c)).

Sec. 7-18002(g). The plan must say whether the owner or designated agent will manage the property; that the manager can appear on the premises to respond to a complaint within one hour of being notified by the city; that there is a back-up property manager, unless the owner or registered agent certifies the STR will not be rented when the owner or registered agent is not physically present in the city; and that the license official is notified immediately of any change in the plan. The City's STR page asks for a copy of the plan with the application. The 2017 Beaufort Code excerpt in the packet gave a three-hour response time; this page follows Chapter 18.

Sec. 7-18002(f). The ban on large gatherings can be lifted if specifically approved by the city. The pet term applies if pets are permitted.

Sec. 7-18002(r)(1). Exceeding occupancy limits is a violation under Sec. 7-18004(3).

Sec. 7-18002(r)(2) and (3). Outdoor amplified music includes bands, deejays, music broadcast through speakers and electronic musical instruments.

Sec. 7-18002(e). The surface can be pavement, gravel or another method the license official approves. The rental agreement must state the vehicle limit and where guests park.

Sec. 7-18002(h) and (i). Failure to post the required information is a violation under Sec. 7-18004(6).

Sec. 7-18002(j). Existing facilities not meeting the requirement had to conform within six months of the date of adoption of the code. The City's STR page asks for a copy of the fire alarm monitoring contract.

Sec. 7-18002(m). The City's STR page says the inspection follows approval of the application and is scheduled through the City's inspection line.

Sec. 7-18001(j). Adjoining means directly adjacent, diagonally adjacent and across any street or alley. The notice gives the STR's street address, the licensee or local agent's contact information, a summary of the STR rules and contact information for complaints to the codes enforcement and business license department.

Sec. 7-18003(d). Changes to the property management plan must be reported to the license official immediately (Sec. 7-18002(g)(4)).

Sec. 7-18002(l) and (n). Failure to maintain required licenses, permits or tax compliance is a violation under Sec. 7-18004(11).

Sec. 7-18005(a). A strike is assessed when the owner, designated agent, occupant or guest is convicted of or found responsible for a violation of the chapter or other city ordinances related to the STR's use. Several violations in one rental period count as one strike. The City gives written notice of each strike. A third strike within 12 months is treated as a breach of the license conditions and goes to revocation proceedings under Sec. 7-1016. Strikes reset on a bona fide transfer of ownership with no common ownership interest and are in addition to other penalties.

Sec. 7-18005(c). Sec. 7-18004 lists violations, including operating or advertising without a valid business license, false information on an application, exceeding occupancy limits, unauthorized events, parking violations, nuisance violations, failure to post required information, failure to respond to complaints in time, renting separate rooms or portions of a dwelling unit under multiple contracts simultaneously, and failure to maintain safety equipment or pass inspections.

Sec. 7-18005(d). The City's packet also lists a $1,000 application fee for units found operating without approval; see the fees rule.

South Carolina charges a 7% tax on rent for rooms, lodgings or sleeping accommodations furnished to transients, including rentals of a residence (S.C. Code § 12-36-920(A)). The South Carolina Department of Revenue (SCDOR) describes this as 5% sales tax plus 2% accommodations tax, together with any local sales and use taxes that SCDOR collects for counties. SCDOR's ST-575 chart lists the total accommodations rate for each county and city.

SCDOR applies accommodations tax to sleeping accommodations of any kind rented to guests for less than 90 consecutive days, including rooms or spaces in your own home and condos. Rentals to the same person for 90 continuous days are not taxed. A home with six or fewer bedrooms is exempt only when the owner or operator lives on the same premises at the time and does not use a rental agency or online travel company to rent the rooms.

SCDOR says owners who book short-term rentals directly must hold a Retail License to file and pay accommodations tax, with one license for each rental location. If you rent only through a property management or online travel company that takes the reservation and the payment, that company remits the tax for the full booking and you do not need a Retail License. A license is also not required if you rent a room or space for no more than one week each calendar quarter, but the tax must still be filed and paid once a year.

Accommodations tax returns and payments must be filed electronically (SCDOR's MyDORWAY or approved software), by the 20th of the month following the end of the filing period.

Under the Local Accommodations Tax Act, a city or county may add a local accommodations tax of up to 3% on stays taxed under S.C. Code § 12-36-920(A). A county may not charge more than 1.5% inside a city or town without that municipality's consent. SCDOR notes that many local accommodations taxes are not administered by SCDOR, so owners must contact the city or county where the rental is located to report them.