Short-term rental rules · Charleston, South Carolina
Short-term rentals in Charleston, explained properly.
Charleston's 2018 short-term rental ordinance limits residential STRs to the owner's full-time primary residence, proven by the county's 4% legal-residence tax exemption. Hosts don't have to stay on site but must be generally available. Each property may have one STR unit, with up to four adults overnight and one extra off-street parking space. Three residential categories add location rules: on the historic peninsula the building must be individually listed on the National Register (Category 1) or at least 50 years old (Category 2). Non-owner-occupied STRs are possible only in certain commercial zones inside the Short Term Rental Overlay Zone, up to nine units per lot. Permits renew every year.
At a glance
What you need to know before you buy or list
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Owner's full-time primary residence only | A residential STR must be the owner's full-time primary residence, verified by the county's 4% Legal Residence tax exemption for owner-occupied property [1] |
| Host must be 'generally available' | The host doesn't have to be present for the whole stay but must be generally available [1] |
| Up to four adults | Up to four adults, regardless of relationship, may stay overnight [1] |
| Category 1 (Old and Historic District): National Register building | On the peninsula's Old and Historic District, one STR unit per property, located in a structure or accessory building individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with one extra off-street parking space [2] |
| Category 2 (rest of peninsula): building 50+ years old | On the peninsula outside the STR overlay and Old and Historic District, one STR unit per property in a building constructed 50 or more years ago, with one extra off-street parking space [2] |
| Category 3 (off the peninsula): no building-age rule | West Ashley, Johns Island, James Island and Daniel Island need one extra off-street parking space but have no age or historic designation requirement [2] |
| Commercial STRs: only inside the STR overlay, up to nine units per lot | Commercial STRs, without an owner-occupancy or 4% assessment requirement, are allowed in the CT, LB, GB, UC, MU-1, MU-1/WH, MU-2 and MU-2/WH zoning districts within the Short Term Rental Overlay Zone, with no more than nine units on one lot; ten or more need approval as an accommodations use [2] |
| Annual renewal | All permits must be renewed annually by the original date of issuance; the permit fee was not confirmed in this pass [3] |
| Civil penalties for unpaid accommodations tax | The city's FAQ describes civil penalties of $500 to $2,000 per seven-day rental period for failing to pay taxes; penalties for operating without a permit were not confirmed in this pass [1]Confirming |
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Detailed rules
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Changes
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Watch the City of Charleston STR permit pages and City Council agendas. The permit fee, unpermitted-operation penalties and accommodations tax rates were not confirmed in this pass. The ordinance dates from April 10, 2018. As of this pass, chs-str-categories and chs-str-permit-info could not be re-fetched live (site blocked automated access); their cited fields are unconfirmed but not contradicted by other evidence.
City staff proposed replacing the current four-unrelated-adults occupancy rule with a standard set by the Charleston Fire Marshal based on bedroom count under the International Property Maintenance Code, with a hard cap of 8 guests per unit regardless of size (29 of the city's roughly 600 permitted STRs currently exceed 8 guests and would be grandfathered). The Planning Commission held a public hearing on July 15, 2026 and voted unanimously that the proposal was 'not ready to go to City Council,' deferring it. As of this pass (Sept 26, 2026) it has not been rescheduled, has not had a City Council reading, and is not law. The current four-adult limit in this page remains accurate.
Sources
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This page is general information compiled from public sources, not legal or tax advice. HOA rules, deed restrictions and zoning for a specific property can be stricter. Confirm with the local permitting office and a qualified professional before buying or listing a property.