City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Charleston, SC
How Charleston regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Rules here limit which homes may operate as short-term rentals, how many, where, or for how many nights a year.
- Old & Historic District Category 1 National Register requirement
- Category 1/2 cap of 1 STR unit per property
- B&B 183-day owner-occupancy requirement
- Off street parking requirement
Based on: City of Charleston Zoning Ordinance STR provisions (Ch.54 Art.3 STR Category Criteria) — annual permit per category
Summary of the rule
Category 1 + 2 properties may contain no more than 1 STR unit
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 10, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Charleston · system last checked Oct 13, 2026
Owners in Charleston
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City Watch tracks changes from public sources — council agendas, state bills, local news — not a complete legal compendium.
A city permit is not the whole picture — HOA, condominium, deed, or lease rules may be stricter.
City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.