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Know when a Charleston-area council changes your STR rules, and what to do before it takes effect.

Lowcountry Rules Alerts by Keel & Charter is free: one brief a month, plus an alert when an ordinance, a vote or an effective date moves in any of 12 Lowcountry and Grand Strand jurisdictions. Every line is dated and linked to the official source.

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Why it exists

Between Aug 14 and Oct 27, 2026, a judge struck down Folly Beach's 800-license cap, Folly adopted a moratorium to Feb 19, 2027, Charleston County passed a rule tying parking to every bedroom and sleeping area, and the City of Charleston put an 8-guest maximum on its Council agenda. Each of these lived in a court ruling, an ordinance archive or an agenda PDF. Lowcountry Rules Alerts reads those so you do not have to, and tells you which ones touch your area.

What you get

Change alertsSent when an area's rules move: a proposed ordinance, a first or second reading, an adoption, an effective date, a court ruling or a cap count. Each alert says what changed, where it stands, who it affects and what to do this week, with links to the agenda, ordinance or City page.
The monthly brief, on the 1stSame sections every month: the short version, deadlines in the next 90 days, what is pending, all 12 areas one by one, and how we checked (including any source we could not read).
Local numbersThe counts national services skip, with the date they were posted, such as capped licenses left on Kiawah and permits available on Seabrook.

Sample alert

This is the alert format, filled in with the real facts on the morning of the Charleston hearing and written only from the City's own agenda documents. It is a sample: Lowcountry Rules Alerts has not sent any alerts yet.

Change alert | City of CharlestonSample, written Oct 27, 2026

Pending, not adopted

City Council holds a public hearing tonight on STR amendments: an 8-guest maximum, $1M liability insurance and owner overnight residency

What is proposed

The Oct 21 Planning Commission draft amends Secs. 54-208 and 54-227 of the Zoning Ordinance:

Guest limit set by the Fire Marshal from bedroom size, max 8 guests per unit
4-bedroom cap on units converted to STRs after it takes effect; approved overlay units over 4 bedrooms are grandfathered
One unit per advertisement
Automatic suspension on a 3rd violation within 1 year
$1M liability insurance
Owner must reside overnight at the property

Where it stands

The Oct 27 agenda lists the ordinance "as amended", so the text Council hears may differ from the Oct 21 draft. Hearing at 5:00 p.m., City Hall, 80 Broad Street, streamed on the City's YouTube channel. Nothing changes for permit holders until Council adopts it and states an effective date.

What to do this week

Count the guests your listing allows. Above 8 is the number to watch.
Ask your insurer what $1M of liability coverage costs on this property, so you have the figure before any renewal.
Residential STR hosts: note whether you sleep at the property on every night guests stay.
Do not change listings yet. We send a follow-up alert with what Council actually did, from the City's own record.

Sources

How it works

Double opt-inEnter your email below, then press the link in the one confirmation email. Nothing else is sent until you confirm.
Unsubscribe any timeEvery email has an unsubscribe link, and replying with the word unsubscribe works too.
Your addressUsed only for this brief. Never sold, shared or added to another list.
Status todayWe are collecting confirmed signups now. The first issue goes out once our mailing setup is complete.

Want the dates in a spreadsheet?

Optional. The alerts stay free either way.

Track your own permitsThe $24 Coastal SC STR Permit and Renewal Tracker: pick your area and the permit type, renewal rule, tax stack and official link fill in; each renewal counts down and turns red at 30 days or less.
Every rule as dataThe $19 Coastal SC STR Rules Data Pack: all 12 areas as a spreadsheet with source links, plus a renewal deadline calendar (.ics) with reminders.
Track income and expensesThe $19 Airbnb Host Tracker: log each booking and expense, and gross receipts total by month for license and tax filings.
All three toolsThe $49 Coastal SC Host Bundle: the data pack, the tracker and the ListingLift Full Report Kit.

Areas covered

Questions

Is it really free?

Yes. There is no paid tier and no trial. Keel & Charter sells separate spreadsheets (listed on this page), and you never need one to get the brief or the alerts.

How often will you email me?

One brief on the 1st of each month. Alerts only when a rule actually moves in one of the 12 areas, never more than one a day. If two things move on the same day, they go in one alert.

How fast do alerts arrive?

Every source behind this site is re-checked weekly, and scheduled votes such as the Oct 27 Charleston hearing are checked the day after the meeting. When a change is confirmed in an official source, the alert goes out within 2 business days. We do not send alerts on rumors or social posts.

What happens after I sign up?

You get one email asking you to confirm. Nothing else is sent until you do, and an unconfirmed address is deleted after 7 days. We are collecting confirmed signups now; the first issue goes out once our mailing setup is complete, and we will not email you before then.

How do I unsubscribe?

Every email has an unsubscribe link, or reply with the word unsubscribe. You are removed before the next send. We use your address only for this brief and never sell or share it.

Can I just follow the towns myself?

Yes, and for one area that can be enough. Charleston County runs free email and text updates for its own short-term rental topic at engage.charlestoncounty.gov. Lowcountry Rules Alerts covers all 12 areas at once and says what each change means for a host.

Do you give legal advice or file permits for me?

No. This is a plain-language summary of public records with a link to each one. Check with the municipality or county before you buy, list or renew.

Who writes it?

Keel & Charter, the team behind this site. Each issue is produced from the dated records behind these pages and checked against the official source before it goes out.

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.

Get the monthly Coastal SC STR rules brief

One email a month: what changed, what is pending, and the dates that matter. Free.

Free, one email a month from Keel & Charter. We send one email to confirm your address first. Every issue has an unsubscribe link, and replying with the word unsubscribe also works.