Charleston requires every short-term-rental listing on Airbnb, Vrbo, and similar platforms to display the city-issued permit number prominently, shifting partial enforcement responsibility onto hosting platforms operating within municipal limits.
Following 2019 amendments to Ord. 2018-141, all online STR listings advertising Charleston addresses must include the unique city permit number in the listing description and, where supported, the platform's licensing field. The rule lets enforcement staff scrape platform sites and cross-reference against the active permit database. Listings without a valid permit number are presumed unpermitted and cited. Charleston has issued formal letters to major platforms requesting voluntary takedown cooperation, paralleling Charleston County and SC SB 1318-era state coordination on transient-lodging tax remittance.
Listings without permit numbers receive cease-advertising notices, $500 daily civil fines per listing day, and possible referral to SC Department of Revenue for unremitted accommodations tax.
Charleston, SC
Charleston requires a Short-Term Rental Permit under the Accommodations Ordinance (Chapter 29, Article X). All STR operators must register, obtain a business...
Charleston, SC
Charleston STR operators must collect and remit a 2% Local Accommodations Tax and the state's 7% Accommodations Tax. A city business license fee also applies...
See how Charleston's host platform liability rules stack up against other locations.
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