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The Coastal SC STR Rules Data Pack: every rule on this site as a spreadsheet (CSV and Excel) with source links, a renewal deadline calendar (.ics) with reminders, and a 1-page quick start. $19.
Get the data packNo pending change foundLast verified 2026-10-25
New vacation rentals are prohibited; only rentals lawfully operating before Nov 21, 2000 may continue.
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 | Prohibited, except nonconforming vacation rentals lawfully used during the 12 months before Nov 21, 2000. Source: codelibrary.amlegal.com |
| Permit or license | For grandfathered rentals: annual Certificate of Zoning Compliance plus a Vacation Rental Business License. The certificate is lost if the building is enlarged or razed. |
| Fees | unknown (business license class rate not confirmed). Late penalty 5% per month. Source: sullivansisland.sc.gov |
| Caps or wait list | Effectively closed: no new vacation rentals. Source: codelibrary.amlegal.com |
| Owner-occupancy | Grandfathered property must be assessed at the 6% (non-owner-occupied) rate. Source: codelibrary.amlegal.com |
| Occupancy limit | unknown Source: codelibrary.amlegal.com |
| Parking | unknown Source: codelibrary.amlegal.com |
| Taxes on stays | 13% total: state sales 5%, state accommodations 2%, local option 1%, transportation 1%, education capital improvement 1% (10%, remitted to SCDOR per ST-575); Charleston County accommodations 2% and Town accommodations fee 1% (Town Code 38.056; both remitted to Charleston County). Airbnb collects only the SCDOR taxes here, not the County or Town fees (a PTT line on the Airbnb statement is an amount the host must remit); Vrbo collects and remits all of them. The host reports monthly gross receipts to the County either way. Mandatory cleaning and other required fees are part of the taxable rental charge; optional services the guest can decline are not (SCDOR Sales Tax Manual Ch. 11, Q6 to Q9). |
| Registration and renewal | Business license year May 1 to Apr 30. Source: sullivansisland.sc.gov Gross receipts for license and tax filings. The $19 Airbnb Host Tracker totals your gross rental income by month, for each property or all properties together: rent, cleaning and other guest fees from Airbnb, Vrbo and direct stays, before platform fees. Stays are counted in the month they check in. Take a look |
| Recent changes (dated) | Nov 21, 2000: grandfathering cutoff date. No 2025 or 2026 change confirmed. Source: codelibrary.amlegal.com |
Printable checklist. Sullivan's Island short-term rental host checklist: the rules above as step by step boxes to tick, with sources.
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What will you keep after taxes and fees? Try the free Sullivan's Island take-home calculator
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The Coastal SC STR Rules Data Pack: every rule on this site as a spreadsheet (CSV and Excel) with source links, a renewal deadline calendar (.ics) with reminders, and a 1-page quick start. $19.
Get the data packPick your area and the permit type, renewal rule, tax stack and official link fill in. Type your expiry dates and each renewal turns red at 30 days or less, gold at 31 to 60. A Tax Filing Log and a Renewal Calendar with 17 published deadlines. Excel, works in Google Sheets.
Get the trackerThree tools in one download: the $19 Rules Data Pack, the $24 Permit and Renewal Tracker and the $39 ListingLift Full Report Kit, an offline tool that turns your own listing into a printable fix list. $33 less than buying all three.
Get the bundleIncome tracker, turnover schedule, house rules and Wi-Fi signs in one download.
Get itTurnaround windows, cleaner status and pay, and a supplies reorder list.
Get itGet a free score out of 100 and your top 3 fixes in under a minute with ListingLift by Keel & Charter. Want the full report? The $39 ListingLift Full Report Kit is an instant download that builds title options, an amenity gap list, a house rules check and a 30-day plan. Get it with the Rules Data Pack and the Permit and Renewal Tracker in the $49 Coastal SC Host Bundle.
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