Greenville County, SC Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Greenville County, SC, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- County STR permit
- None (city permits differ)
- Governing use
- Bed and Breakfast / Hotel-Motel
- B&B allowed in
- NC, C-1, C-2, C-3 outright
- Residential B&B
- Conditional (footnote C4)
- Check zoning via
- Greenville County GIS
Summary
Greenville County has no standalone short-term-rental permit. In the unincorporated county, renting a home to transients is treated as a Bed and Breakfast or Hotel/Motel use and is only allowed where the property's zoning district permits it. The $40 STR permit widely cited online is the City of Greenville's, not
Bed and Breakfast establishments are permitted in the NC, C-1, C-2, and C-3 zoning districts. In the RR-3, RR-1, R-S, R-20, R-20A, R-15, R-12, R-10, and R-7.5, zoning districts, Bed and Breakfast establishments are permitted subject to the following conditions.
Full Breakdown
The County Zoning Ordinance has no defined 'short-term rental' use. The closest residential category is a Bed and Breakfast, permitted in the NC, C-1, C-2 and C-3 districts and allowed in most single-family and rural residential districts only as a Conditional use (footnote C4) subject to the Section 6:2(4) conditions (owner must reside on-site, max four guest rooms). A larger commercial lodging operation is a Hotel or Motel, permitted only in commercial districts. Unzoned parcels have no use-based restriction but must still meet the Land Development Regulations. Check your parcel's zoning on the County GIS before advertising.
Violations & Fines
Operating a lodging use in a district that does not allow it is a zoning violation enforced by Greenville County Code Enforcement; typical remedy is a stop-use order plus daily fines until compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a county short-term-rental license?
Does the $40 permit apply in the county?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Greenville County
How Greenville County compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Greenville County to another location·View the South Carolina short-term rentals overview
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