Is Airbnb Legal in North Charleston? 2026 Rules, Permits & Taxes

Permit required

Yes

Taxes on a stay

14%

Yearly night cap

72 nights

Fine for hosting without a permit

Up to $500

Active Airbnb listings

869

Latest rule change

Feb 27, 2025

The rules in brief

Who needs it

Every owner who rents a dwelling unit for stays of up to 29 consecutive days. A separate permit and a separate business license are needed for each unit.^1,4,7

Issued by

City of North Charleston Planning and Zoning Department (permit); City business license office (license)

Valid for

The permit renews every year by February 28; the associated business license renews by April 30.

Processing

Within one to three weeks of a complete application, depending on volume, Planning and Zoning emails a request for more information or a preliminary approval; inspections and the business license follow.

On listings

The number must appear on every listing

Platform checks

The ordinance requires the permit number and the maximum occupancy in every listing and advertisement, and the City enforces it directly through a compliance office; no platform-side check is published.

Fees

Who qualifies

• A legally established dwelling unit; recreational vehicles are not eligible
• The permit is issued to the property owner, who must show proof of ownership
• Approval from the HOA or POA where one exists
• A parking space for every two bedrooms rented, and a local contact who can be on site within 30 minutes
• All required taxes paid and no more than three notices of violation in the past year
• Room rentals in an owner-occupied home are exempt from the district cap; other units need an open permit in their Council district

How to apply

1. 1 Check that the unit meets the conditions: no more than two guests per bedroom and 8 in total, parking, a 24-hour contact, HOA or POA approval and current taxes.
2. 2 Create an account on the City's online permit portal and upload proof of ownership, HOA or POA approval, local contact details, a site plan with parking, and photos of the parking, exterior, entrance and interior.
3. 3 Wait for an email from Planning and Zoning with a request for more information or a preliminary approval.
4. 4 Pass the building and fire inspections, which are scheduled after preliminary approval.
5. 5 After preliminary approval, apply for the business license; it is issued only once the preliminary approval has been sent.
6. 6 Pay the $350 application fee. The permit is issued once the inspections are passed, the business license is granted and the fee is paid; post the permit and the City decal in the unit.

Permit rules

A permit and a business license for each unit

Each short-term rental unit needs its own City STR permit and its own business license, and the permit renews every year by February 28.^1,4 In force since January 1, 2023

Permit number and maximum occupancy on every listing

The permit number and the maximum occupancy shown on the issued permit go on every listing and advertisement; the permit is posted in the unit and the City decal sits by the guest entrance.^1,4

$350 to apply, $250 to renew

The permit costs $350 for a new unit and $250 a year to renew, in addition to business license fees and accommodations taxes.^1,4

Business license comes after preliminary approval

The City issues the business license only after Planning and Zoning has sent a preliminary approval of the STR application, and the business license renews by April 30.^4,7

Legally established dwellings only

Permits are issued only for legally established dwelling units, so recreational vehicles do not qualify; short-term rentals are a conditional use, and non-conforming dwellings in industrial districts are excluded.^1,4

The owner applies, with proof of ownership

The property owner applies for the permit and must upload a tax bill, tax record or deed; the owner is responsible for compliance even if a manager runs the rental.^1,4

A permit does not pass to a buyer

STR permits are issued in the owner's name and are void when the property changes hands, except for transfers into or out of a trust or LLC the owner belongs to, inheritance, and a deed between joint owners.¹

60 permits per Council district

The City issues at most 60 STR permits in each of its 10 Council districts, a cap added by an amendment adopted on February 27, 2025.^1,4 In force since February 27, 2025

Room rentals in owner-occupied homes are exempt from the cap

Room rentals within an owner-occupied dwelling assessed at the 4% property tax ratio do not count toward a district's 60 permits; units on land annexed into the city after 2024 are also exempt from the cap for their first permit.^1,4 In force since February 27, 2025

No new permits in districts over the cap

Council districts 5, 6, 8 and 10 are over or at the cap, so the City takes no new permits there until the count drops below 60; applications go on a waiting list and are processed in the order submitted.^1,4,6 Applies to: Council districts 5, 6, 8 and 10 · In force since February 27, 2025

Existing permits can keep renewing

A permit in good standing renews each year even when its district is over the cap, provided the renewal is filed by February 28.^1,4 In force since February 27, 2025

Unpermitted renting blocks a new permit for six months

A unit that was listed or used for short-term stays without a valid permit within six months before the application is not eligible for a permit.¹ In force since February 27, 2025

HOA or POA approval

Where an HOA or POA exists, its approval is required and is uploaded with the application; the use cannot be prohibited by the association's covenants or bylaws.^1,4

Stays of up to 29 consecutive days

The ordinance treats a rental as short-term when each stay is 29 consecutive days or fewer; longer stays are not regulated as short-term rentals.^1,4 In force since January 1, 2023

Two guests per bedroom, 8 at most

Overnight guests, children included, may not exceed two per bedroom and 8 in total; the maximum must be posted in the unit and shown in every advertisement.^1,4 In force since January 1, 2023

One parking space for every two bedrooms

The unit needs one off-street or allocated parking space for every two bedrooms rented, up to four spaces, and guests' vehicles may not be parked on the street during a stay except in the designated street parking area.^1,4

A contact who can be on site within 30 minutes

The owner must name a contact reachable by cellphone around the clock who can be at the property within 30 minutes of notice; failing to arrive within 30 minutes of a City call is a violation.^1,4 In force since January 1, 2023

No events and no exterior signs

Weddings, parties and similar gatherings are not allowed, and the only sign is the City's STR decal plus one sign of no more than one square foot.^1,4

Three notices of violation, then the permit is void

A unit with more than three zoning, noise or refuse notices of violation in a one-year period loses its permit and business license when the fourth notice is issued.^1,4 In force since January 1, 2023

Building and fire inspections before approval

The City inspects fire protection, egress, electrical and heating before it approves a permit; the fire criteria call for extinguishers in the kitchen and on each floor, smoke alarms in every bedroom, hallway and floor, and carbon monoxide detection where fuel-burning appliances or an attached garage exist.^4,5

Taxes must be current

A host must be up to date on all required taxes to get and keep a permit; Airbnb collects the state, county and city taxes on its bookings, and bookings taken elsewhere must be reported by the host.^4,14

State retail license for direct bookings

A host who takes any booking directly, outside Airbnb or a property manager, needs a South Carolina Department of Revenue retail license ($50 per rental location) to file and pay accommodations tax.^10,12

72 nights keeps the 4% owner-occupied property tax rate

The ordinance sets no annual night cap, but under state law renting a legal residence for more than 72 days in a calendar year can cost the owner the 4% assessment ratio, which also decides whether room rentals qualify for the cap exemption.^1,13

Citations can go to the owner, manager or guest

The owner is responsible for compliance, and the City may write a citation to the owner, property manager, emergency contact, guest or other occupant, whether or not the unit holds a permit.¹

Median nightly rate, booked nights

$210

Taxes on that night (14%)

$29

Guest pays, before Airbnb and cleaning fees

$239

What the host still handles

• A City of North Charleston business license for each rental unit, renewed by April 30
• A local accommodations fee account with Charleston County for bookings Airbnb does not collect, because the county collects the city's 2% fee as well as its own
• A South Carolina Department of Revenue retail license ($50 per rental location) if any booking is taken outside Airbnb or a property manager^{8,9,10,11,12,14}

• Violating the zoning regulations, which include the short-term rental rules: a fine of up to $500, up to 30 days in jail, or both, and each day the violation continues is a separate offense.^2,3
• A fourth notice of violation for zoning, noise or refuse within one year voids the unit's STR permit and business license.^1,4
• A unit listed or used for short stays without a valid permit in the six months before applying cannot be permitted.¹
• A contact who does not reach the property within 30 minutes of a City call commits a violation of the ordinance.¹
• Late county accommodations fee: a penalty of 5% a month, or fraction of a month, up to 100% of the fee due.⁸

1. July 16, 2026 Not in force
   Further amendments pending: higher exemption threshold, business-zone exemption

   A package that would raise the exemption for multi-unit properties from 10 to 20 rental units and exempt business-zoned parcels from the cap passed first reading on July 9, 2026. On July 16 the Public Safety Committee dropped a proposed $1,000 permit-transfer option and approved the rest; the final council vote was pulled from the July 23 agenda and the draft returns to the Planning Commission. The code as of September 22, 2026 does not include these changes.^1,15

2. February 27, 2025
   Cap of 60 permits per Council district (Ord. 2025-010)

   City Council enacted the cap on February 27, 2025: no more than 60 permits in each of the 10 Council districts, with an exemption for room rentals in owner-occupied homes and for permits already in good standing.^1,4

3. April 27, 2023
   Ordinance amended (Ord. 2023-022)

   City Council amended Section 4-21 on April 27, 2023.^1,4

4. January 1, 2023
   Short-term rental ordinance takes effect

   City Council adopted the ordinance on May 26, 2022 and it took effect on January 1, 2023; rentals that did not conform to Section 4-21 were not grandfathered.^1,4

Estimate what a North Charleston home could earn

1. 1. Code of Ordinances, Appendix A Zoning Regulations, Section 4-21 Short term rentals (version Sep 22, 2026) · City of North Charleston (Municode)
2. 2. Code of Ordinances, Appendix A Zoning Regulations, Section 7-5 Penalties for violation · City of North Charleston (Municode)
3. 3. South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 5, Chapter 7 (Section 5-7-30, powers of municipalities) · South Carolina Legislature
4. 4. Short-Term Rental Permits · City of North Charleston
5. 5. Short-Term Rental Fire Safety Criteria · North Charleston Fire and Building Departments
6. 6. Short-Term Rental Status dashboard · City of North Charleston
7. 7. Business Licenses · City of North Charleston
8. 8. Accommodations Fee Information · Charleston County Revenue Collections
9. 9. ST-575 South Carolina Sales Tax Rate by Municipality (Rev. 2/5/26) · South Carolina Department of Revenue
10. 10. Accommodations (Accommodations Tax) · South Carolina Department of Revenue
11. 11. SC Information Letter #15-4: Rent by Owner Vacation Rental Websites · South Carolina Department of Revenue
12. 12. Licensing (Retail License) · South Carolina Department of Revenue
13. 13. SC Revenue Ruling #15-4: Vacation rentals, 15-day sales tax exemption and 72-day property tax assessment ratio · South Carolina Department of Revenue
14. 14. Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in South Carolina · Airbnb Help Center
15. 15. North Charleston updates short-term rental regulations · The Post and Courier