Charleston, SC Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Charleston, SC, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Permit renewal
- Annual recertification required
- Liability insurance
- $1,000,000 minimum per occurrence
- Owner residency
- Must sleep onsite with guests
- Units per permittee
- One STR unit only
- Posting notice
- 15 days before approval
- Appeal window
- 5 business days after posting
- Violation penalty
- Misdemeanor, revocable permit
Summary
Charleston requires an annually renewable Short Term Rental permit before any residential STR can operate, and Section 54-208(b) demands the record owner both run the rental and sleep on the property overnight whenever guests are present, carry $1,000,000 in liability insurance, and cap each permittee to one listed STR unit.
a.General Requirements. A residential short term rental use may be permitted as a Category 1, Category 2, or Category 3 STR Permit, if the zoning administrator determines the STR to be an accessory use to the principal residential use on a property which satisfies the requirements of Section 54-208.1, 54-208.2, or 54-208.3, as applicable, and issues a permit for such STR use.b.Operational Requirements. In all cases, Category 1, 2 or 3 STR uses shall adhere to the following operational requirements:1.The residential STR shall be operated by the record owner of the subject property who shall also be a resident of the subject property and who shall be residing overnight on the property while residential STR guests are present; and...4.The record owner of the subject property must keep in full force and effect during all times the STR is operated a general liability policy with a company authorized to do business in the State of South Carolina insuring against personal injury (including death) and property damage with limits of no less than $1,000,000.00 per occurrence; and...8.Each Category 1, 2, or 3 STR permittee is entitled to rent, list with a booking or listing service, advertise, make available for STR use, or otherwise market only one (1) STR unit; and
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 114 | Zoning: Supplement 25).
Full Breakdown
3 (based on location inside or outside the Old and Historic District or the peninsula) and issues a permit. Section 54-208(b)'s operational requirements include: the record owner must reside overnight on the property whenever guests are present; no signage advertising the STR is allowed; only breakfast may be served if the owner offers meals; a $1,000,000-per-occurrence general liability policy from a company licensed in South Carolina must stay in force; a current guest register with names, addresses, phone numbers and dates of occupancy must be kept; the owner must comply with all city, county and state business license and revenue laws; a rental packet with rules, safety information and contact details must be provided to guests and displayed in the unit; each permittee may market only one STR unit; and the STR permit number must appear on every advertisement, including Airbnb, VRBO/HomeAway and FlipKey listings.
Section 54-208(c) requires a notarized application with a fee, scaled floor plans marking every guest room, a site plan showing parking and driveways, photographs of the structure, and a signed acknowledgment; the zoning administrator then posts notice on the property for 15 consecutive days, followed by a 5-business-day appeal window, before issuing a permit valid for one year and renewable through annual recertification.
Violations & Fines
Section 54-208(e) makes it a violation to operate an STR without complying with the chapter, expand an STR without a new permit, advertise or market a property as an STR without complying, or hold out an STR as available without displaying the permit number or within its permitted guest count. Any violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine and/or incarceration, each day of continued violation is a separate offense, and the zoning administrator can revoke the STR permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the owner have to live in a Charleston short-term rental?
How long does it take to get a Charleston STR permit?
How much liability insurance does a Charleston STR host need?
What happens if I advertise a Charleston STR without a permit number?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Charleston
How Charleston compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Charleston to another location·View the South Carolina short-term rentals overview
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Short-Term Rental Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Charleston County handle short-term rental permits.