Richland County's Land Development Code distinguishes owner-occupied from non-owner-occupied short-term rentals. Owner-occupied STRs require the owner to reside on the property at least 183 days per year, and non-owner-occupied STRs are not allowed in residential districts.
The 2024 Land Development Code (effective March 2024) permits short-term rentals only in certain zoning districts, and it treats owner-occupancy as a key threshold. For owner-occupied STRs the owner must reside on the property at least 183 days each year. Non-owner-occupied (investor) short-term rentals are not permitted in residential zoning districts; they are generally limited to commercial and mixed-use zones. So a whole-home investment STR in a residential neighborhood is typically not allowed, while a resident renting rooms or their home part-year can qualify. Confirm your parcel's zoning with Richland County Planning before listing.
Operating a non-owner-occupied STR in a residential district, or claiming owner-occupancy without meeting the 183-day threshold, violates the Land Development Code and can be enforced as a zoning violation.
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