Short-Term Rentals in Charleston, SC (2026)
7 verified short-term rentals rules for Charleston, South Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Short-Term Rental Permits
Charleston requires an annually renewable Short Term Rental permit before any residential STR can operate, and Section 54-208(b) demands the record owner both run the rental and sleep on the property overnight whenever guests are present, carry $1,000,000 in liability insurance, and cap each permittee to one listed STR unit.
Charleston STR Permit: Owner Must Live Onsite
Significant RestrictionsCharleston Zoning Ordinance § 54-208
a.General Requirements. A residential short term rental use may be permitted as a Category 1, Category 2, or Category 3 STR Permit, if the zoning administrator determines the STR to be an accessory use to the principal residential use on a property which satisfies the requirements of Section 54-208.1, 54-208.2, or 54-208.3, as applicable, and issues a permit for such STR use.b.Operational Requi...
Taxes & Fees
Charleston enforces the South Carolina Fairness in Lodging Act against short-term rental hosts who skip the local accommodations tax. City Code § 2-273 adopts the state act and sets a standalone civil penalty of $500 to $2,000 for every seven-day period a rental property is rented without collecting and remitting the required local accommodations tax.
Charleston STR Accommodations Tax Penalty Rule
Some RestrictionsCharleston City Code § 2-273
(a)The city hereby adopts and implements the provisions of the South Carolina Fairness in Lodging Act, as found in Article 7 of Title 6 of the South Carolina Code of Laws; and(b)Further the city sets, pursuant to the Act, a one-time civil penalty in an amount not less than five hundred ($500.00) nor more than two thousand dollars ($2,000.00) for failure to collect and remit local accommodations...
Short-Term Rental Parking Rules
Every Charleston short-term rental has to provide one dedicated off-street parking space on the property, on top of whatever parking the existing home already needs. Sec. 54-208.1(a)(5), 54-208.2(a)(5) and 54-208.3(a)(5) each impose the same one-space rule for Old and Historic District, peninsula and off-peninsula STR permits.
Charleston STR Parking Requirement
Some RestrictionsCharleston Zoning Ordinance § 54-208.1(a)(5); § 54-208.2(a)(5); § 54-208.3(a)(5)
5. The STR shall provide one (1) off street parking space on the subject property, in addition to providing, on the subject property, required off street parking for existing uses on the property. The parking space provided for the STR may be situated in tandem with the required spaces for other uses; and
Occupancy Limits
Charleston caps every residential short-term rental unit at four adults, defined as anyone 18 or older, for stays of one to 29 consecutive days. The limit applies identically under all three STR permit categories: Category 1 in the Old and Historic District, Category 2 on the peninsula outside that district, and Category 3 everywhere else off the peninsula, under Zoning Ordinance Sections 54-208.1 through 54-208.3.
Charleston Short-Term Rental Occupancy Cap
Some RestrictionsCharleston, SC Zoning Ordinance § 54-208.1(a)(1)
a.An STR use may be established in a dwelling unit as an accessory to the principal residential use, on any property located within the Old and Historic District, where the zoning administrator, after reviewing an STR Permit application, finds that the following requirements are met:1.The property shall not contain more than one (1) STR unit. Each unit shall consist of one or more rooms arrange...
Insurance Requirements
Every Charleston short-term rental host has to carry a general liability insurance policy of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence for as long as the STR operates. Sec. 54-208(b)(4) requires the policy to be written by a company licensed in South Carolina and cover both personal injury, including death, and property damage.
Charleston STR $1M Insurance Rule
Some RestrictionsCharleston Zoning Ordinance § 54-208(b)(4)
4. The record owner of the subject property must keep in full force and effect during all times the STR is operated a general liability policy with a company authorized to do business in the State of South Carolina insuring against personal injury (including death) and property damage with limits of no less than $1,000,000.00 per occurrence; and
Host Presence Rule
Charleston requires the record owner of a short-term rental to be a resident of the property and to sleep there overnight on every night a paying guest is on site. Sec. 54-208(b)(1) makes host presence a baseline condition of every Category 1, 2 and 3 STR permit, whether the property sits inside the Old and Historic District or off the peninsula.
Charleston STR Host Presence Rule
Significant RestrictionsCharleston Zoning Ordinance § 54-208(b)(1)
b. Operational Requirements. In all cases, Category 1, 2 or 3 STR uses shall adhere to the following operational requirements: 1. The residential STR shall be operated by the record owner of the subject property who shall also be a resident of the subject property and who shall be residing overnight on the property while residential STR guests are present; and
Repeat Violator Strikes
Charleston bars anyone whose short-term rental permit was revoked in the previous 24 months from getting a new one. Sec. 54-208.1(a)(11), Sec. 54-208.2(a)(8) and Sec. 54-208.3(a)(7) each disqualify an applicant on this basis for the corresponding STR category, whether in the historic district, on the peninsula, or off it.
Charleston STR Repeat Violator Ban
Significant RestrictionsCharleston Zoning Ordinance § 54-208.1(a)(11); § 54-208.2(a)(8); § 54-208.3(a)(7)
11. The applicant for the STR use shall not be someone who has had an STR Permit revoked within the previous twenty-four (24) months.
Looking for Charleston County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Charleston city rules.
Short-Term Rentals in Charleston County →