Short-Term Rentals in Greenville County, SC (2026)

10 rules for unincorporated Greenville County, South Carolina.

Verified from official government sources

Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of Greenville County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply — see the city list below.

Permit Requirements

Greenville County has no standalone short-term-rental permit. In the unincorporated county, renting a home to transients is treated as a Bed and Breakfast or Hotel/Motel use and is only allowed where the property's zoning district permits it. The $40 STR permit widely cited online is the City of Greenville's, not

No countywide STR permit; lodging use is zoning-controlled

Some Restrictions

Greenville County Zoning Ordinance, Sec. 6:2(4)

Bed and Breakfast establishments are permitted in the NC, C-1, C-2, and C-3 zoning districts. In the RR-3, RR-1, R-S, R-20, R-20A, R-15, R-12, R-10, and R-7.5, zoning districts, Bed and Breakfast establishments are permitted subject to the following conditions.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Noise Rules

Greenville County has no noise standard written specifically for short-term rentals. Guest noise is instead governed by the county's general noise and public-nuisance provisions in the County Code of Ordinances, which apply to any occupant regardless of whether the home is rented.

No STR-specific noise rule; county nuisance code applies

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Taxes & Fees

Short-term stays in Greenville County owe South Carolina's 7% accommodations sales tax plus the 2% statewide accommodations tax. The county's own tourism levy is a 2% Local Hospitality Tax on prepared meals and beverages, not a tax on lodging, so there is no separate county lodging tax.

State accommodations tax applies; county levies only a meals tax

Some Restrictions

Greenville County Local Hospitality Tax Ordinance (2% meals/beverages)

The Local Hospitality Tax is a 2% (two percent) fee imposed by the County of Greenville on sales of all prepared meals and beverages sold or prepared in a location located in the unincorporated areas of Greenville County.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Parking Rules

For a Bed and Breakfast, the County Zoning Ordinance requires one off-street parking space per guest room, and all parking must be located in the rear or on the side of the facility. The county sets no separate parking standard for other short-term rentals.

One rear or side parking space per guest room

Some Restrictions

Greenville County Zoning Ordinance, Sec. 6:2(4)(K)

All parking for Bed and Breakfast establishments must be located in the rear or on the side of the facility. There shall be one (1) parking space per guest room.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Occupancy Limits

For the residential lodging use closest to a short-term rental, the County Zoning Ordinance limits a Bed and Breakfast to a maximum of four guest rooms and bars in-room cooking facilities. The county sets no separate headcount cap on other short-term rentals, so guest numbers otherwise follow building-code occupancy.

Bed-and-breakfast lodging capped at four guest rooms

Some Restrictions

Greenville County Zoning Ordinance, Sec. 6:2(4)(A)-(C)

A. Accommodations are limited to a maximum of four (4) guest rooms. B. The appearance and primary function of the home shall remain as a residence, not as a lodging establishment. C. Cooking facilities are not permitted in any of the Bed and Breakfast guest rooms.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Insurance Requirements

Greenville County does not require short-term-rental operators to carry a specific liability insurance policy. The Bed and Breakfast conditions instead require compliance with all tax, fire, building-code and DHEC requirements before and during operation, which drives most safety obligations.

No county STR insurance mandate; codes and DHEC apply

Some Restrictions

Greenville County Zoning Ordinance, Sec. 6:2(4)(E)

All Bed and Breakfast establishments must meet all tax, fire and building code requirements, DHEC requirements, and prior to the commencement of operations and at all times thereafter.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Night Caps

Greenville County sets no minimum-stay requirement and no annual cap on the number of nights a property may be rented short-term. State tax law does treat stays of 90 or more continuous days as non-transient, which effectively marks the point where a rental stops being a taxable short-term stay.

No minimum-night or annual-night cap in the county

Some Restrictions

S.C. Code Ann. § 12-36-920(A)

The gross proceeds derived from the lease or rental of sleeping accommodations supplied to the same person for a period of ninety continuous days are not considered proceeds from transients under this section.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Registration Rules

The unincorporated county maintains no short-term-rental registry. Anyone furnishing lodging to transients must instead hold a South Carolina Department of Revenue retail license and remit state accommodations tax, unless the narrow small-facility or infrequent-rental exemptions apply.

No county STR registry; state retail license required

Some Restrictions

S.C. Code Ann. § 12-36-920(A) & (A)(1)

A sales tax equal to seven percent is imposed on the gross proceeds derived from the rental or charges for any rooms, campground spaces, lodgings, or sleeping accommodations furnished to transients... This tax does not apply where the facilities consist of less than six sleeping rooms contained on the same premises, which is the individual's place of abode.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Host Presence Rule

The county has no general host-presence mandate for all short-term rentals, but its Bed and Breakfast conditions require the owner to reside in the structure. That owner-occupancy condition is the county's closest equivalent to a host-presence rule for residential lodging.

Owner residency required for residential B&B use

Some Restrictions

Greenville County Zoning Ordinance, Sec. 6:2(4)(D)

Operators of all Bed and Breakfast facilities must maintain a guest register. The guest register shall contain the following guest information: names, license plate numbers, home addresses, and work and home telephone numbers. The guest register shall be available for inspection by law enforcement personnel.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

For a Bed and Breakfast in a residential zoning district, the County Zoning Ordinance requires the property owner to reside in the structure and keep it functioning primarily as a residence. Non-owner-occupied whole-home rentals are not a permitted residential lodging use under these conditions.

Residential B&B lodging requires owner to live on-site

Some Restrictions

Greenville County Zoning Ordinance, Sec. 6:2(4)(L) & (B)

L. Owner of the property must reside in the structure. B. The appearance and primary function of the home shall remain as a residence, not as a lodging establishment.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

All Greenville County ordinances

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