Greenville County, SC Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- General host-presence rule
- None countywide
- B&B owner
- Must reside in structure
- Guest register
- Required, law-enforcement viewable
- Register contents
- Names, plates, addresses, phones
- Rule source
- Zoning Sec. 6:2(4)(D),(L)
Summary
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.
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 Breakdown
There is no ordinance requiring a manager or host to be physically present during every guest stay across all short-term rentals. However, the residential Bed and Breakfast use under Section 6:2(4) requires the owner to reside in the structure, so the host is expected to live on the property. Operators must also maintain a guest register listing names, license-plate numbers, home addresses and phone numbers, available for law-enforcement inspection, which reinforces on-site management. Commercial Hotel/Motel operations follow lodging-industry staffing norms rather than an owner-presence rule.
Violations & Fines
Absentee operation of a residential B&B, or failing to keep the required guest register, breaches the zoning conditions and can trigger enforcement or revocation of the Board of Zoning Appeals approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
Must a host be present during stays?
Do I have to keep a guest log?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Greenville County
Compare Greenville County to another location·View the South Carolina short-term rentals overview
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