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Charleston Short-Term Rental Rules: What Hosts Need to Know in 2026
Charleston allows short-term rentals only in an owner’s full-time primary residence. The city verifies that status through the county’s 4% legal residence property tax exemption, which rules out ordinary investment properties.
A host needs two approvals: a short-term rental permit from the Zoning division and a city business license. The permit runs one year and must be renewed in the month it was issued.
A primary-residence permit with three location categories
Charleston rebuilt its short-term rental rules in 2018 around a simple test: the property must be the owner’s full-time home. Category 1 covers the Old and Historic District and requires a structure individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Category 2 covers the rest of the peninsula outside the STR overlay, provided the principal building is at least 50 years old. Category 3 covers off-peninsula areas such as West Ashley, James Island, Johns Island, and Daniel Island.
Every residential category allows only one STR unit per property and requires one extra off-street parking space. Commercially zoned properties inside the Cannonborough-Elliotborough overlay can pursue a commercial STR permit instead.
- The owner must hold the county’s 4% legal residence property tax exemption.
- Categories 1, 2, and 3 each allow only one STR unit per property.
- Permits and business licenses renew annually.
The three residential categories
The category is set by location, not by the host’s preference. All three share the primary-residence test, the one-unit limit, and the extra parking space requirement.
Category 1 — Old and Historic District
Requires the STR unit to be in a structure individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places and limits the property to one STR unit.
Category 2 — Peninsula outside the overlay
Covers the Charleston peninsula outside the STR overlay. The principal building must be at least 50 years old, and the property may contain only one STR unit.
Category 3 — Off-peninsula
Covers West Ashley, James Island, Johns Island, Daniel Island, and other off-peninsula areas of the city, with one STR unit per property.
License fees
| Label | Fee |
|---|---|
| New license | $345 |
Permit conditions and operating requirements
- The property must be the owner’s full-time primary residence, verified by the county’s 4% legal residence property tax exemption; investment properties are eligible only if commercially zoned inside the STR overlay district.
- Each property may contain only one short-term rental unit.
- Category 1 covers the Old and Historic District and requires the unit to be in a structure individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Category 2 covers the peninsula outside the STR overlay and requires a principal building at least 50 years old; Category 3 covers off-peninsula areas such as West Ashley, James Island, Johns Island, and Daniel Island.
- The property must provide one additional off-street parking space (9 feet by 18 feet 6 inches) beyond the parking required for the existing residential use.
- The STR permit number must be posted inside the unit and in every advertisement, and a City of Charleston business license is required and renewed by February 1 each year.
Enforcement: Livability Court, revocation, and tax penalties
Charleston enforces short-term rental rules through its Livability Court and dedicated zoning enforcement staff. Three findings of guilt end the permit, and a revoked permit cannot be re-established for 24 months.
The accommodations tax is a separate exposure. State law allows a civil penalty of $500 to $2,000 for each seven days a property was rented without the tax being collected and remitted.
- Three Livability Court findings of guilt: permit revocation.
- Listing an additional unit or an ineligible property: immediate revocation.
- Unpaid accommodations tax: $500-$2,000 for each seven days rented.
| Item | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Unpermitted operation | Operating or advertising without a valid STR permit is a violation enforced through Livability Court and zoning enforcement. |
| Revocation | Three findings of guilt in Livability Court, listing an additional unit, or operating an ineligible property results in revocation of the STR permit. |
| Re-establishment | A revoked STR permit cannot be re-established for 24 months. |
| Accommodations tax | Failure to collect and remit accommodations tax carries a civil penalty of $500 to $2,000 for each seven days the property was rented. |
Accommodations tax: about 14% in Charleston County
Combined hotel occupancy tax ~14%
For a City of Charleston property in Charleston County, the combined tax on accommodations is about 14%: 5% state sales tax, 2% state accommodations tax, 1% local option sales tax, 1% county transportation tax, 1% school district tax, 2% Charleston County accommodations tax, and 2% City of Charleston accommodations tax.
Properties in Berkeley County total about 12%, because the county accommodations tax does not apply and the city rate differs.
Platforms do not necessarily remit every local tax. Some collect only the state accommodations tax, so the owner must confirm what was paid and remit the county and city taxes directly.
The city business license is separate from the STR permit and renews by February 1 each year.
- Collection
- Platforms may collect only the state accommodations tax; the owner remains responsible for the county and city accommodations taxes and must confirm what the platform remits.
- Filing
- State taxes are remitted to the South Carolina Department of Revenue and local accommodations taxes to Charleston County; the city business license renews by February 1 each year.
Ranges vary — verify. Rates shown are for City of Charleston properties in Charleston County; properties in Berkeley County total about 12%.
Permit notes
- Density caps
- One short-term rental unit per property in Categories 1, 2, and 3.
- Other fees
- Fire inspection and plan review: $40 application fee plus $32.61 plan review and $32.61 inspection. Business license: $64 base plus $3.90 per additional $1,000 of expected gross income.
Compare Charleston with other STR markets
Some cities allow investor-owned short-term rentals under caps, while others limit permits to the host’s primary residence. Charleston is in the second group: the permit follows the owner’s full-time home, and only one STR unit is allowed per property.
Phoenix
Arizona
Allowed citywide with permit (state law bars city bans — host-friendly)
Low–moderate enforcement
New license $250
Last verified
View Phoenix rules →Scottsdale
Arizona
Licensed; Arizona law preempts local bans and occupancy caps
Moderate enforcement
New license $250
Last verified
View Scottsdale rules →Sedona
Arizona
Permit required; Arizona law sets the regulatory floor
Moderate enforcement
New license $210
Last verified
View Sedona rules →Los Angeles
California
Allowed in the host’s primary residence with registration; 120-night annual cap unless extended
High enforcement
New license $441
Last verified
View Los Angeles rules →Palm Springs
California
Allowed in single-family homes with an annual certificate; new certificates capped at 20% per organized neighborhood
High enforcement
New license — Vacation Rental $1,046
Last verified
View Palm Springs rules →San Diego
California
Licensed by tier; whole-home licenses are capped by ordinance
High enforcement
New license — Tier 1 — Part-Time $193
Last verified
View San Diego rules →San Francisco
California
Allowed only in the host’s permanent residence with registration; un-hosted stays capped at 90 nights per year
High enforcement
New license $925
Last verified
View San Francisco rules →Santa Monica
California
Home-sharing only in the host’s primary residence; un-hosted vacation rentals are unlawful
High enforcement
New license $582.25
Last verified
View Santa Monica rules →Denver
Colorado
Licensed, primary residence only
High enforcement
New license $150
Last verified
View Denver rules →Washington
District of Columbia
Licensed, primary residence only
High enforcement
New license $99
Last verified
View Washington rules →Fort Lauderdale
Florida
Licensed and inspected; annual Certificate of Compliance required
High enforcement
New license — Certificate of Compliance $880
Last verified
View Fort Lauderdale rules →Miami
Florida
Licensed and enforced; city and county requirements run in parallel
High enforcement
Last verified
View Miami rules →Orlando
Florida
Owner-occupied home sharing; whole-home rentals are limited by zoning
Moderate enforcement
New license — Home Sharing Registration $275
Last verified
View Orlando rules →Tampa
Florida
State-licensed; city rental registration repealed in 2023
Low–moderate enforcement
New license $230
Last verified
View Tampa rules →Atlanta
Georgia
Licensed, primary residence plus one additional dwelling unit
High enforcement
New license $150
Last verified
View Atlanta rules →Savannah
Georgia
Certified STVR, overlay district only, per-ward cap
High enforcement
New license $400
Last verified
View Savannah rules →Chicago
Illinois
Registered shared housing unit (31 days or fewer)
High enforcement
New license $250
Last verified
View Chicago rules →New Orleans
Louisiana
Licensed, capped, and lottery-based
High enforcement
New license — NSTR owner permit $500
Last verified
View New Orleans rules →Boston
Massachusetts
Registered, owner-occupied primary residence only
High enforcement
New license — Limited Share $25
Last verified
View Boston rules →Las Vegas
Nevada
Licensed; owner-occupied homes only (city limits)
High enforcement
New license $500
Last verified
View Las Vegas rules →New York
New York
Legal only in a registered primary residence (hosted stays)
High enforcement
New license $145
Last verified
View New York rules →Portland
Oregon
Permitted as an accessory use (primary residence required)
Moderate enforcement
Last verified
View Portland rules →Nashville
Tennessee
Allowed with permit; heavy zoning restrictions on investor units
High enforcement
New license $313
Last verified
View Nashville rules →Austin
Texas
Licensed & enforced
High enforcement
New license $736.60
Last verified
View Austin rules →Seattle
Washington
Licensed; up to two units per operator
High enforcement
New license $75
Last verified
View Seattle rules →Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to run an Airbnb in Charleston?
Yes. Charleston requires a short-term rental permit plus a city business license. The property must be the owner's primary residence, verified by the 4% legal residence property tax exemption, and only one STR unit is allowed per property.
Which Charleston STR category applies to my property?
Category 1 is the Old and Historic District and requires a National Register-listed structure. Category 2 is the peninsula outside the STR overlay with a principal building at least 50 years old. Category 3 covers off-peninsula areas such as West Ashley, James Island, Johns Island, and Daniel Island.
What taxes apply to a Charleston short-term rental?
The combined rate is about 14% for City of Charleston properties in Charleston County, including state sales and accommodations taxes, local option and transportation taxes, school district tax, and county and city accommodations taxes.
Official sources and cross-checks
Sources with links
- City of Charleston — Short-Term Rental Permit Information charleston-sc.gov
- City of Charleston — Applicable Fees charleston-sc.gov
- City of Charleston — Accommodations Tax for STRs charleston-sc.gov
- City of Charleston — Short-Term Rental FAQ (PDF) charleston-sc.gov