Beaufort County, SC Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)

30(A)(3)(a)(4) sets the occupancy formula for Short-Term Rental Properties (STRPs) on Daufuskie Island: two adults per bedroom plus two additional adults, with everyone 12 and older counted as an adult and children under 12 excluded from the count. ' This standard applies only within the Transect Zones of unincorporated Daufuskie Island under Appendix B; it does not apply countywide, and it does not govern the incorporated municipalities of Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, Port Royal or the City of Beaufort, which run their own STR programs.

Both Principal Dwelling Units and Accessory Dwelling Units may operate as STRPs, but Accessory Structures may not. Every STRP needs an annual STRP Permit plus a county Business License before advertising or renting, and any advertisement must display the county-issued STRP Permit Number. 5 x 11 inch weatherproof sign must be posted at the property entrance listing the street address, STRP license number, a 24-hour emergency contact, and the maximum occupancy. Interior units must also post a Short-Term Rental Tenant notice with owner contact information, the permit number, trash schedules, and fire/evacuation routes, plus a 'Good Neighbor Notice' covering golf-cart age limits, leash laws, sea-turtle 'lights out' rules, and the county noise ordinance #2021/07. 20. Permits must be renewed annually by April 1, including a notarized affidavit that nothing has changed from the prior application.