Charleston County, SC Short-Term Rentals: Insurance Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Insurance mandate
- None in Article 6.8
- Required instead
- Building Safety Permit
- Owner must contact
- County Building Services
- 5+ bedrooms
- Extra building-code review
- Recommended
- STR / landlord policy endorsement
Summary
Charleston County's Article 6.8 does not require a specific liability-insurance policy for short-term rentals. Instead, owners must comply with all county building-code requirements and obtain a Building Safety Permit; hosts should still confirm insurance with their carrier and platform.
The property owner is responsible for contacting the Charleston County Building Services Department... to ensure the Short-Term Rental Property complies with all Charleston County Building Code requirements. This will include applying for and receiving a Building Safety Permit.
Full Breakdown
The STR permit application does not list a mandatory insurance amount. Its safety obligations are code-based: the owner is responsible for contacting the Charleston County Building Services Department to ensure the STR complies with all Charleston County Building Code requirements, which includes applying for and receiving a Building Safety Permit. Using five or more bedrooms for STR use may trigger additional building-code requirements. While Article 6.8 imposes no insurance mandate, standard homeowner policies often exclude commercial short-term rental activity, so operators typically add a short-term-rental or landlord endorsement and rely on any host-protection coverage offered by their booking platform.
Violations & Fines
Operating without required building-code compliance or a Building Safety Permit is enforced by Building Services and under Article 6.8.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Charleston County require STR insurance?
Is my homeowner policy enough?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Charleston County
Compare Charleston County to another location·View the South Carolina short-term rentals overview
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