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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
Capped licenses in R1 and R2 are first come, first served; 92 capped licenses were left as of Oct 16, 2026.
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 | Allowed with a license; caps apply in the R1 and R2 districts. Renting 14 days or less per year is exempt. Source: www.kiawahisland.gov | www.kiawahisland.gov |
| Permit or license | Annual Town STR license plus a building code inspection for any rental under 30 days. Source: www.kiawahisland.gov |
| Fees | Application fee $500 in capped R1 and R2 areas, $200 elsewhere, plus a gross-receipts license fee (rate unknown). Source: www.kiawahisland.gov |
| Caps or wait list | Caps in R1 and R2, issued first come, first served. As of Oct 16, 2026: 92 licenses left in capped areas (17% of the capped total); 1,377 STR licenses issued this year. Source: www.kiawahisland.gov |
| Owner-occupancy | Not required (none found). Source: www.kiawahisland.gov |
| Occupancy limit | 2 occupants per code-compliant bedroom plus 2 per unit (a 4-bedroom home allows 10); children under 2 not counted. Bedroom count follows Charleston County property tax records. Source: www.kiawahisland.gov Post your limits where guests see them. Host Printables include fillable house rules and Wi-Fi signs. Take a look |
| Parking | Overnight vehicles limited to the parking spaces listed on the rental application; paved or gravel surfaces only, no grass. Large pickups, big vans, RVs, trailers and boats may not park overnight anywhere on the island. Source: www.kiawahisland.gov |
| Taxes on stays | Town accommodations 1% plus Charleston County accommodations 2% (Charleston County), plus SCDOR sales 5%, state accommodations 2% and state-collected local sales taxes. SCDOR and County accommodations accounts required. |
| Registration and renewal | Licenses expire Apr 30. Twice-weekly backdoor trash service required. Source: www.kiawahisland.gov | www.kiawahisland.gov Gross receipts for license and tax filings. The Host Income and Expense Tracker totals them by month. Take a look |
| Recent changes (dated) | Jan 1, 2020: revised STR ordinance took effect. Oct 16, 2026: capped-license count update (92 left). Source: www.kiawahisland.gov | www.kiawahisland.gov |
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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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