What we checked
- Charleston, SC's short-term-rental registration requirement
- Charleston, SC's lodging-tax requirement
What we found
- →A licence is required
- →Lodging tax applies
Read this before you list — these are rules you must confirm, not a verdict.
This page is informational, not legal advice, and not a guarantee. Only the
base zoning above is checked live, and even that is just the zone designation — not a ruling
that short-term rental is allowed at this address. Short-term-rental legality is mostly
decided by layers we do not verify here: city registration,
primary-residence requirements, night caps,
RSO / rent-stabilized & ADU restrictions, and your HOA or condo rules
(an HOA can ban STR even where the city allows it). Confirm every rule with the issuing
authority before you advertise or accept a booking.
Charleston, SC · free check
Short-term rental rules (preview)
What you get free: the city's core registration + lodging tax to confirm.
Full packet, fine exposure, and stage checklist are in the $49 report below.
Registration / license
Short-Term Rental Permit / Business License
CostFee varies (permit requires an annually-renewed City business license) — confirm current fee on the apply page
Issued byCity of Charleston Permit Center
Lodging / occupancy tax
Accommodations Tax for Short-Term Rentals (state + county + city)
RateCharleston City within Charleston County totals approx. 14% (incl. 2% state + 2% county + 2% city accommodations tax) — confirm current rate and which portion online marketplaces remit with Charleston County Revenue Collections
Paid toCharleston County Revenue Collections Division (local) / SC DOR (state)
🔒 In the $49 report (not free)