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Income tracker, turnover schedule, house rules and Wi-Fi signs in one download.
Get itNo pending change foundLast verified 2026-10-25
Three permit types with 72-day and 144-day caps; new Oct 13, 2026 rules tie parking to every bedroom and sleeping area and bar tents, RVs and boats.
Not legal advice. This is a plain-language summary of public sources, last checked 2026-10-25. Rules change, and some items are pending. Always verify with the municipality or county before you buy, list, or renew. Each fact links to its official source.
| Topic | What the official sources say |
|---|---|
| Allowed and where | Limited Home Rental (LHR): RM, AG-15, AG-10, AG-8, AGR, RR, S-3, R-4, MHS, UR (including Goat Island). Extended Home Rental (EHR): AG-8 and AGR (bona fide agriculture plus owner voting or ID address), S-3, R-4, MHS, by Board of Zoning Appeals Special Exception. Commercial Guest House (CGH): RO, GO, NC, RC, CC. Dewees Island is handled separately (Art. 5.16). Tents, RVs, boats, sheds and garages may not be used as STRs. |
| Permit or license | County STR zoning permit (LHR, EHR or CGH) plus a business license; both numbers must appear on every ad. Building Safety Permit required. Max stay 29 consecutive days. |
| Fees | Annual zoning fee per the current renewal packet: LHR $100, EHR $200, CGH $300. An older 2018 fee schedule shows $50, $100 and $150, so confirm the current figure with Zoning. Business license fee: unknown. Source: www.charlestoncounty.org |
| Caps or wait list | No countywide number cap. Day caps: LHR 72 rental days per year per lot; EHR 144 days per year; CGH no limit. |
| Owner-occupancy | LHR must be owner-occupied. EHR and CGH have no owner-occupancy requirement. Source: www.charlestoncounty.gov |
| Occupancy limit | No fixed guest number found. Applications must list bedrooms and designated sleeping areas; using 5 or more bedrooms may trigger additional building code requirements. Post your limits where guests see them. Host Printables include fillable house rules and Wi-Fi signs. Take a look |
| Parking | 1 off-street space per permitted bedroom and per designated sleeping area, plus the parking the principal use already requires. Source: www.charlestoncounty.gov |
| Taxes on stays | Charleston County accommodations fee 2% (Ord. 910, collected by County Revenue Collections) plus SCDOR sales tax 5% and state accommodations tax 2% and the state-collected local sales taxes. Exact unincorporated total: unknown, confirm with SCDOR form ST-575. Source: www.charlestoncounty.gov | www.dor.sc.gov |
| Registration and renewal | Renew by Dec 31 each year. Within 15 days of LHR permit issuance or renewal, the county digitally notifies Parties in Interest and Community Interest lists. Gross receipts for license and tax filings. The Host Income and Expense Tracker totals them by month. Take a look |
| Recent changes (dated) | Feb 24, 2026: Ord. 2377 lets the Zoning Director deny STR applications for up to 2 years after enforcement finds unpermitted operation (Post and Courier reported 196 unpermitted properties vs 220 permits issued in 2025). Apr 28, 2026: Ord. 2387 adopted (neighbor digital notice, restated permit table). Oct 13, 2026: Ord. 2409 adopted (bedrooms plus sleeping areas on applications, tents/RVs/boats/sheds/garages barred, parking per bedroom and sleeping area). |
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Simple spreadsheets and printables for running a rental. Instant download.
Income tracker, turnover schedule, house rules and Wi-Fi signs in one download.
Get itOccupancy, ADR, net income by month and a Schedule E summary. Handy for the gross receipts your license renewal asks for.
Get itTurnaround windows, cleaner status and pay, and a supplies reorder list.
Get itFillable house rules and Wi-Fi signs. Post your occupancy, parking and quiet hours where guests will see them.
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