Vacation rental owners · Charleston CountyCharleston County short-term rental rules, and who manages there.
Dwell's partner letter says its teams manage in various areas of Charleston County. Unincorporated county land and the City of Charleston have separate rules.
The town’s own rules · read October 8, 2026
What Charleston County says.
- 01
Unincorporated county: every short-term rental needs a zoning permit and a business license, renewed by December 31 each year.
Source: the town’s page - 02
Unincorporated county: stays can't exceed 29 consecutive days, and rental days are counted per lot. An owner-occupied Limited Home Rental can rent up to 72 days a year.
Source: the town’s page - 03
Unincorporated county: ads must show the zoning permit number and the business license number.
Source: the town’s page - 04
City of Charleston: an STR permit and a business license are both required, and permits renew every year.
Source: the town’s page - 05
City of Charleston: the city's FAQ says the property generally must be the owner's full-time primary residence, with exceptions for commercially zoned property in the STR overlay.
Source: the town’s page
The City of Charleston's ordinance is posted as a scanned document, and its FAQ dates from 2021. Confirm with the city before relying on the details.
Rules change. Always confirm with Charleston County: short-term rental brochure before you count on them. This page is not legal advice.
Management in Charleston County
What Dwell says it does for owners.
- 01
Local teams, verified work
Cleaning and maintenance are checked in person by people based in your market.
- 02
Full visibility into your property
Monthly financial and condition reports, guest review summaries, and photos of completed work, even when you're not on-site.
- 03
Dynamic pricing, built in
Rates adjust to real-time demand, and your property is cross-listed across major platforms and social channels.
- 04
Maintenance that doesn't wait
Backup crews are on call, so a broken AC or dead WiFi gets fixed the same day.
Free assessment from Dwell
Own a rental in Charleston County?
Dwell offers property owners a free assessment. Fill this out, and your property goes to Dwell's owner services team, who follow up with you.
Questions first?
Ask Val about Charleston County.
Dwell offers property owners a free assessment. Tell Val about your place and say yes, and your property goes to Dwell's owner services team, who follow up with you.
Rather text a person? Text us at 843-442-7992.
Hi, I’m Val. To set up Dwell’s free assessment I’ll ask, one at a time:
- Where the property is, down to the street
- How many bedrooms
- Whether it's rented today, and who manages it
- Your name, phone and email
- Your OK to pass it to Dwell, and a good time for their call
Then we pass it to Dwell’s owner team.