City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Columbia, SC
How Columbia 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.
- Whole-home/absentee STR foreclosed in residential zones unless parcel fronts a 4-lane Major/Minor Arterial or Collector
- Owner-occupied dwellings exempt from the frontage rule, so absentee whole-home is the constrained class
- STR permit plus separate business license and zoning approval required to operate
- STRs otherwise confined to Mixed-Use, Activity Center/Corridor, Commercial and Employment Campus districts
Based on: Columbia Zoning/STR provisions, Ord. No. 2025-107, as amended by Ord. No. 2026-013 (approved Mar. 3, 2026)
Summary of the rule
A short-term rental located within a residential base zoning district shall only be located upon a parcel having frontage on a street containing four through lanes and classified as a Major Arterial, Minor Arterial, or Collector in the most recent update of the City of Columbia Comprehensive Plan transportation maps.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 14, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Columbia · system last checked Nov 10, 2026
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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.