City of Charleston short-term rental rules (2026): permits, caps, taxes

The rules at a glance

Topic	What the official sources say
Allowed and where	Residential STRs only in the owner's primary residence (4% legal residence assessment). Three category areas: Category 1 is the Old and Historic District (building individually listed on the National Register); Category 2 is the peninsula outside the overlay (building at least 50 years old); Category 3 is off-peninsula (West Ashley, James Island, Johns Island, Cainhoy, Daniel Island). In the STR Overlay (Cannonborough-Elliotborough) a Commercial STR permit applies on commercial zoning and a Bed and Breakfast permit on residential zoning. Source: www.charleston-sc.gov \| www.charleston-sc.gov
Permit or license	City STR permit (Residential STR, Commercial STR in the overlay, or Bed and Breakfast) plus a City business license. Permit number must appear on every ad. Source: www.charleston-sc.gov \| www.charleston-sc.gov
Fees	$200 zoning and application review; fire inspection $40 base plus $32.21 plan review plus $32.61 per floor; business license $64 base plus $3.90 per additional $1,000 of gross receipts. Source: www.charleston-sc.gov \| www.charleston-sc.gov
Caps or wait list	No citywide number cap found in official sources. Limit of 1 STR unit per property. Source: www.charleston-sc.gov
Owner-occupancy	Required for Residential STR: the unit must be the owner's primary residence with the 4% assessment, and the operator must be generally available. A pending amendment would require the owner to reside overnight while guests are present. Source: www.charleston-sc.gov \| charleston-sc.gov
Occupancy limit	Current: up to 4 adults overnight. Pending: a Fire Marshal bedroom-based limit with a maximum of 8 guests per unit. Source: www.charleston-sc.gov \| charleston-sc.gov 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 in addition to the 2 required per dwelling (3 total for a single-family home). Source: www.charleston-sc.gov
Taxes on stays	14% total (Charleston County part): state sales 5%, state accommodations 2%, local option 1%, county transportation 1%, school 1% (remitted to SCDOR); Charleston County accommodations 2% and City accommodations 2% (remitted to Charleston County). Failure to collect accommodations tax carries a civil penalty of $500 to $2,000 per 7 days rented. Source: charleston-sc.gov \| www.charlestoncounty.gov \| www.charleston-sc.gov
Registration and renewal	Permit renews annually by its original issuance date; business license expires Dec 31. SCDOR sales and accommodations registration plus a Charleston County accommodations account. Source: www.charleston-sc.gov \| www.charlestoncounty.gov Gross receipts for license and tax filings. The Host Income and Expense Tracker totals them by month. Take a look
Recent changes (dated)	Jul 10, 2018: STR ordinance took effect (adopted Apr 10, 2018). Oct 21, 2026: Planning Commission agenda item to amend Secs. 54-208 and 54-227 (bedroom-based limit, max 8 guests, 4-bedroom cap on new conversions, one unit per ad, automatic suspension on a 3rd violation in 1 year, $1M liability insurance, owner overnight residency, grandfathering for overlay units over 4 bedrooms). Oct 27, 2026: City Council public hearing scheduled (agenda item E-2). Status on Oct 25, 2026: pending, not adopted. Source: www.charleston-sc.gov \| charleston-sc.gov \| www.charleston-sc.gov

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