Richland County, SC Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Parking Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Required spaces
- 2 designated parking spaces per property
- Guest notice
- Written parking plan and vehicle max
- Guest packet also covers
- Emergency contacts, owner contact info
- Local contact required
- Responsible local representative within 45 miles
- Penalty
- Infraction under § 1-8, per-day offense
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 007-24HR, 4-9-24
Summary
Every short-term rental in unincorporated Richland County must provide and designate two parking spaces, with guests notified in writing of the parking plan and the maximum number of vehicles allowed. The rule sits inside the county's broader short-term rental licensing and safety article.
(j) Two (2) parking spaces per short-term rental property must be made available and designated. Guests must be notified of the parking plan and the maximum number of vehicles allowed. ... (i) At a minimum, the following shall be made available in written form to each short-term guest: ... (3) Instructions or a diagram of the designated parking spaces ... (b) The owner or responsible local representative offering a property or portion of a property as a short-term rental shall obtain a business license and comply with all business license and revenue collection laws of the Richland County and State of South Carolina. ... Sec. 16-83. Violations. (b) In addition to appropriate civil and equitable remedies for the enforcement of this article, an owner or responsible local representative who violates the provisions of this article is deemed guilty of an infraction. An infraction is subject to punishment under the general penalty provisions of Section 1-8 of this Code of Ordinances. Each day of violation is considered a separate offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-24: This supplement is current through Ordinance No. 033-25HR).
Full Breakdown
Section 16-82(j), adopted by Ord. No. 007-24HR on April 9, 2024, requires that "two (2) parking spaces per short-term rental property must be made available and designated," and that guests be told the parking plan and the maximum vehicle count. Section 16-82(i)(3) folds this into the property's guest packet: owners or their responsible local representative must give each guest, in written form, instructions or a diagram of the designated parking spaces alongside emergency contacts, owner contact information and the property's other house rules. The parking duty attaches only after an owner has met the article's threshold requirements: Section 16-82(b) requires the owner or responsible local representative to first obtain a business license and comply with county and state revenue laws before offering the property as a short-term rental, and Section 16-82(c) makes the owner responsible for keeping the property compliant with all county ordinances, including the parking designation, at all times.
A "responsible local representative" under Section 16-81 must live or maintain an office within 45 miles of the rental and be authorized to accept service of process for the owner, so that person can be held accountable if parking spaces are not properly designated or guests are not notified.
Violations & Fines
Failing to designate and maintain the two required parking spaces, or to notify guests of the parking plan, is a violation of Article VIII. Section 16-83(b) makes an owner or responsible local representative who violates any article requirement guilty of an infraction, punishable under the general penalty provisions of Section 1-8, with each day of the violation treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many parking spaces does a Richland County short-term rental need?
How do guests learn where to park?
What happens if a short-term rental doesn't provide the required parking?
Do I need a business license before I can worry about parking spaces?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Richland County
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