Can I Be an Airbnb Host in South Carolina? What Hosting Actually Requires in 2026

Is It Legal to Host a Short-Term Rental in South Carolina? 

Yes. There’s no statewide ban, and no statewide permit you need before you can host. South Carolina leaves short-term rental rules to local governments, so legality is really a local question: your city or county decides whether hosting is allowed in your zone, what permit you need, and what conditions come with it.

Lawmakers tried to change that structure in the 2025–2026 session and didn’t. One bill (H.3861) would have barred cities and counties from prohibiting short-term rentals. A competing bill (S.442) would have written local authority to regulate them directly into state law. Both died in committee when the General Assembly adjourned in May 2026, so the local-control status quo holds.

What Makes Hosting in South Carolina Unique for Short-Term Rental Hosts

South Carolina gives guests plenty of reasons to book, and they cluster by region. Charleston and its surrounding islands (the historic district, Sullivan’s Island, Daniel Island, and Kiawah) pull year-round travel. Folly Beach, Hilton Head, and Myrtle Beach run on sun and sand. Beaufort sells its Lowcountry charm, and Greenville has become an Upstate destination of its own, a short drive from the Blue Ridge.

What drives those bookings also drives your exposure. Beach houses come with docks, kayaks, and golf carts. Mountain-adjacent rentals come with hot tubs and fire pits. Historic homes come with stairs, old wiring, and pools. Every amenity that helps a listing book is also something a guest can get hurt on, which is why amenity liability coverage matters as much as the limit on your policy.

What South Carolina’s Short-Term Rental Law Actually Says

At the state level, the framework is thin and mostly about taxes and the rental relationship, not permits:

• No statewide short-term rental permit. The state doesn’t authorize hosting. Hosts do need a state retail license to collect and remit accommodations tax, but the authority to operate is local.
• The South Carolina Vacation Rental Act covers what happens when a rented property changes hands. Under § 27-50-250, a buyer takes title subject to vacation rental bookings that begin within 90 days after the deed is recorded.
• State sales tax on accommodations goes to the South Carolina Department of Revenue, separate from the local accommodations taxes your city or county charges.

Everything else (permits, caps, owner-occupancy, and insurance requirements) is set locally, which is why the city table below does most of the work.

The Risk Most South Carolina Vacation Rental Hosts Miss: Why Your Current Policy Likely Falls Short

Closing the gap takes coverage built for the business you’re running: Commercial General Liability made for rental activity. The Proper Policy is a Commercial Homeowners policy built for guest turnover, rental income protection, and business-level liability, not a Homeowners or Landlord policy with a short-term rental endorsement bolted on. See what short-term rental insurance in South Carolina is designed to provide.

Three Questions That Tell You Where You Stand with STR Coverage

Before you assume your current policy has this covered, here are three questions that cut through the fine print. Most hosts have never asked them—and most policies aren’t built to answer them well.

Ask your agent: 

• Does the policy cover damage a guest causes, including accidental, intentional, and malicious damage, as well as theft or burglary by a guest? 
• Does liability include the property’s amenities and follow a guest off premises? 
• Is lost income calculated on what the property actually earns, or based on long-term rentals in the area? 

If your property leans on a pool, hot tub, or waterfront access to win bookings—which describes a lot of Hill Country and Gulf Coast listings—amenity liability on and off premises is worth a specific look, since it’s one of the clearest gaps between a residential policy and one built for short-term rental use.

A true Airbnb insurance policy, like The Proper Policy, is written specifically for short-term rentals and covers the unique risks owners and hosts face across property, liability, and revenue. Coverage is designed to extend across all booking channels and to include periods of vacancy. If you are weighing what that costs against what you carry now, Proper breaks down what drives short-term rental insurance pricing. 

Common Questions from South Carolina Short-Term Rental Hosts

South Carolina Short-Term Rental Laws

Here’s the short version for the state’s active markets. Each city name links to the full breakdown on our South Carolina regulations page.

• Charleston’s owner-occupancy rule limits residential short-term rentals to homes where the owner lives and sleeps on site during guest stays, and requires a general liability policy of at least $1 million per occurrence.
• Beaufort’s April 2026 ordinance added neighborhood density caps, 300-foot spacing between rentals, and a three-strike enforcement policy, with some areas already close to their cap.
• Folly Beach’s investor license cap was struck down in court in August 2026, then reinstated under a new ordinance that kept the 800-license limit, and no new investor licenses are being issued.
• Hilton Head’s permit requirements include a business license, fire-safety compliance, and an owner who can be reached by phone around the clock and be on site within an hour of a complaint.
• South Carolina regulations vary by city, and smaller markets vary widely, from Mount Pleasant’s capped permits to Rock Hill’s five-bedroom limit.

South Carolina Airbnb Laws by City and County