Rock Hill, SC Short-Term Rentals: Permit Requirements (2026)

Rock Hill's regulatory framework for short-term rentals is built from three overlapping layers, none of which is STR-specific. First, every business operating in Rock Hill - including an STR owner renting fewer than 30 consecutive days - must obtain a Rock Hill Business License from the Business Licensing Office (155 Johnston Street) under the city's Business License Ordinance, with the license renewed annually by April 30 and the fee calculated by NAICS class on prior-year gross receipts. Second, the Rock Hill Zoning Ordinance (codified in the Code of Ordinances at library.municode.com/sc/rock_hill) governs whether transient lodging is a permitted use in the property's zoning district; the city's single-family residential districts generally do not list short-term transient rental as a permitted principal use, while mixed-use, downtown, and certain commercial districts may. Third, state-level law: South Carolina has not enacted a statewide STR preemption statute. House Bill 3253, introduced January 10, 2023, would have barred local STR bans, but it has not passed and remains pending in the SC House Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs. Rock Hill therefore retains full home-rule authority under S.C. Code §5-7-30 to license, zone, and tax STRs. Operators must also register with SCDOR for a Retail License and collect 5% state sales tax plus 2% state accommodations tax under S.C. Code §12-36-920, and York County's 3% local accommodations tax authorized under S.C. Code §6-1-520 applies countywide on stays of fewer than 90 continuous days.