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    South Carolina

    City of Folly Beach, South Carolina short-term rental rules

    Overview

    Folly Beach regulates short-term rentals under Chapter 117 of its Code of Ordinances and publishes an official short-term rental page covering licensing, registration, and tax requirements for obtaining a rental license. The city directs licensing questions to licenses@follybeach.gov. Folly Beach is a small barrier-island city with a rental license framework of its own, entirely separate from the City of Charleston's — proximity is not a guide to which rules apply.

    Areas covered: Properties inside the City of Folly Beach limits · Last verified

    Verified requirements for City of Folly Beach, South Carolina

    Each item below was read from the official document cited with it. Nothing here is generic guidance.

    1. Permit/License Required

      Any owner advertising or operating a dwelling unit as a short-term rental (STR, rented for less than 30 days) must obtain and annually renew a Short Term Rental Business License (one of: Investment STR (ISTR), Medical Hardship ISTR (MISTR), Owner-Occupied STR (OSTR), or Provisional STR (PSTR)) and a separate Rental Registration Permit, plus pay applicable taxes.

      Source: Folly Beach Code of Ordinances — Chapter 117: Short Term Rentals (opens in a new tab) · § 117.03 License, Registration, and Tax Requirements · Verified

    2. License Cap / Waitlist

      The maximum number of Investment Short Term Rental (ISTR) business licenses is capped at 800 ('the cap'). No new ISTR licenses may be issued unless the total is below the cap (except for inheritance-based issuances). Licenses in good standing may continue to renew even if the total exceeds the cap. A waitlist is maintained by the City and new licenses are offered to applicants per City Council-adopted procedures. There is no numeric limit on OSTR, MISTR, or PSTR licenses.

      Source: Folly Beach Code of Ordinances — Chapter 117: Short Term Rentals (opens in a new tab) · § 117.02 Short Term Rental Business Licenses, subsections (B) and (C) · Verified

    3. Owner Occupancy

      An Owner-Occupied Short Term Rental (OSTR) license applies to a dwelling that is the owner's legal residence (assessed the 4% property tax ratio) and limits rental to no more than 72 nights annually (with limited exceptions, e.g., military service exemption). An Investment STR (ISTR) license is for a unit that is NOT the owner's legal residence.

      Source: Folly Beach Code of Ordinances — Chapter 117: Short Term Rentals (opens in a new tab) · § 117.01 Purpose, Applicability, and Definitions — definitions of 'OWNER-OCCUPIED SHORT TERM RENTAL BUSINESS LICENSE (OSTR)' and 'INVESTMENT SHORT TERM RENTAL BUSINESS LICENSE (ISTR)' · Verified

    4. Minimum Stay

      It is a violation to offer a short-term rental in any zoning district for fewer than two consecutive nights.

      Source: Folly Beach Code of Ordinances — Chapter 117: Short Term Rentals (opens in a new tab) · § 117.03(D)(2)(j) · Verified

    5. Occupancy/Parking

      Rental registration applications must show at least one on-site parking space per bedroom to be rented. Maximum overnight occupancy shall not exceed two persons per bedroom, plus two additional people per dwelling unit (with limited exceptions).

      Source: Folly Beach Code of Ordinances — Chapter 117: Short Term Rentals (opens in a new tab) · § 117.03(B)(6)(d) and (e) · Verified

    6. Good Standing / Minimum Use Requirement

      To remain in 'good standing' and be eligible for renewal, an ISTR license must be used for a minimum of 28 rental nights in the license year prior to renewal (waived for natural disaster, Act of God, or qualifying repairs), the license must not be expired/denied/revoked, and the dwelling must remain habitable with a valid certificate of occupancy.

      Source: Folly Beach Code of Ordinances — Chapter 117: Short Term Rentals (opens in a new tab) · § 117.01 Definitions — 'GOOD STANDING' · Verified

    7. Renewal

      Business licenses and rental registration permits must be renewed annually. Renewal applications for the business license must be submitted no later than 10 business days after the final day of the previous license year, or the renewal is denied. Rental registration permit renewal applications must be submitted before June 1 each year (10-business-day grace period), or the license is revoked.

      Source: Folly Beach Code of Ordinances — Chapter 117: Short Term Rentals (opens in a new tab) · § 117.03(A)(4) and § 117.03(B)(1) · Verified

    8. Advertising

      It is a violation to advertise a short-term rental without a valid business license, rental registration permit, or accommodations tax account, or without listing the business license number and rental registration permit number; also a violation to advertise more overnight occupants or bedrooms than permitted, or to advertise a property as available for events/parties ('event house').

      Source: Folly Beach Code of Ordinances — Chapter 117: Short Term Rentals (opens in a new tab) · § 117.03(D)(2)(b), (d), (f), (i) · Verified

    9. Taxes

      Owners of short-term rentals are subject to local, county, and state taxes, including sales, use, and accommodations taxes, and are liable for payment as established by state law and city code; proof of payment is required as part of the rental registration application.

      Source: Folly Beach Code of Ordinances — Chapter 117: Short Term Rentals (opens in a new tab) · § 117.03(C) Taxes · Verified

    10. Enforcement

      Violations of Chapter 117 (e.g., unlicensed operation/advertising, exceeding occupancy, event-house use, late renewal, failure to post required info) result in a 'strike' against the STR license; three strikes in a rolling 12-month period can result in suspension, revocation, or non-renewal of the license.

      Source: Folly Beach Code of Ordinances — Chapter 117: Short Term Rentals (opens in a new tab) · § 117.03(D)(2) Violations, and § 117.03(B)(6)(m) · Verified

    11. Local Agent Requirement

      Owners must designate a local agent responsible for compliance who must be able to physically respond to the site within 60 minutes of city notification in an emergency; non-owner local agents must be a SC-licensed attorney, real estate agent, broker in charge, or property manager (or their direct-supervision employee).

      Source: Folly Beach Code of Ordinances — Chapter 117: Short Term Rentals (opens in a new tab) · § 117.03(B)(7) Designation of local agent · Verified

    Regulation research score

    How far the short-term-rental rules we confirmed from cited official sources for City of Folly Beach, South Carolina constrain an ordinary non-owner-occupied, whole-home short-term rental, expressed on a 0–100 burden scale built from 12 weighted criteria in two dimensions: market access and operating compliance. Higher means more constrained. It is not a legal conclusion, a permissiveness rating, a market rating, a measure of desirability, legality or profitability, and not investment advice.

    Very high / effectively restricted· 100/100 (range 100–100)· High confidence

    Documented rules make an ordinary non-owner-occupied whole-home short-term rental unavailable or close to impossible for most properties — for example an outright prohibition, a primary-residence mandate, or a closed permit programme.

    A documented severe market-access trigger is present (zoning eligibility, caps, density or spacing), so the effectively-restricted band is available. The observed estimate of 100 of 100 combines an access sub-score of 100 and an operating sub-score of 84.

    Based on 92% evidence coverage across the 12-criterion rubric.

    Market access and eligibility · 100 of 100

    • Owner-occupancy or primary residenceNo access effect (definitional or permissive) · 0

      A separate investment (non-owner-occupied) licence class exists, so occupancy is not mandatory.

    • Zoning eligibility, caps, density or spacingSevere market-access trigger · 100

      Investment short-term rental licences are capped at 800 with a waitlist; no new licences issue above the cap.

    • Minimum or maximum stayModerate access step · 35

      A two-consecutive-night minimum applies in every district.

    Operating and compliance · 84 of 100

    • Permit, licence, or registration22 pts
    • Occupancy and parking14 pts
    • Enforcement and penalties14 pts
    • Local responsible party12 pts
    • Renewal or transfer10 pts
    • Advertising and listing rules7 pts
    • Lodging tax or fees5 pts

    Operating rules are weighted at 0.45, so compliance requirements alone cannot push a jurisdiction past Moderate / structured.

    Burden estimate
    100 of 100 · Very high / effectively restricted
    Uncertainty interval
    100–100 of 100
    Evidence coverage
    92% · 11 of 12 criteria resolved
    Confidence
    High
    Last reviewed

    High confidence: 92% of the rubric is resolved against cited official sources. The observed estimate of 100 could still rise to 100 if the remaining criteria turn out to apply.

    11 of 12 rubric criteria resolved against cited official sources.

    Why this score

    Market-access findings are graded severe, major, moderate or none from the cited official claim itself; the most severe finding scores in full and each additional finding adds a quarter of its points, so correlated restrictions are never double-counted. The operating sub-score is a weighted count out of 100 and is multiplied by 0.45, which is why routine permitting, inspection, contact, tax and enforcement rules alone cannot exceed the Moderate / structured band. An unresolved criterion is never recorded as 'not required' and never scored as zero: it enters the central estimate at a quarter of its worst case and reaches its full worst case at the top of the published interval, but it can never release the gates that open the high-access or effectively-restricted bands — those read confirmed findings only. Every result therefore ships as estimate, interval, evidence coverage and confidence together.

    • Prohibition or closed entry0.00 pts (range 0–0 of 100)

      An official source states this does not apply here, so it adds nothing at any bound.

    • Owner-occupancy or primary residence0.00 pts (range 0–0 of 100)

      Confirmed by a cited official source and graded no access effect (definitional or permissive) (0 access points). A separate investment (non-owner-occupied) licence class exists, so occupancy is not mandatory.

    • Zoning eligibility, caps, density or spacing100.00 pts (range 100–100 of 65)

      Confirmed by a cited official source and graded severe market-access trigger (100 access points). Investment short-term rental licences are capped at 800 with a waitlist; no new licences issue above the cap.

    • Minimum or maximum stay35.00 pts (range 35–35 of 35)

      Confirmed by a cited official source and graded moderate access step (35 access points). A two-consecutive-night minimum applies in every district.

    • Permit, licence, or registration22.00 pts (range 22–22 of 22)

      Confirmed by a cited official source, so it scores its full 22 of 100 operating points.

    • Inspection or life-safety certification4.00 pts (range 0–16 of 16)

      Not confirmed either way. It is never recorded as "not required" and never scored as zero: it enters the estimate at 25% of its worst case and widens the upper bound by up to 16 operating points. It can never on its own move this jurisdiction into a higher-access band — those gates read confirmed findings only.

    • Occupancy and parking14.00 pts (range 14–14 of 14)

      Confirmed by a cited official source, so it scores its full 14 of 100 operating points.

    • Enforcement and penalties14.00 pts (range 14–14 of 14)

      Confirmed by a cited official source, so it scores its full 14 of 100 operating points.

    • Local responsible party12.00 pts (range 12–12 of 12)

      Confirmed by a cited official source, so it scores its full 12 of 100 operating points.

    • Renewal or transfer10.00 pts (range 10–10 of 10)

      Confirmed by a cited official source, so it scores its full 10 of 100 operating points.

    • Advertising and listing rules7.00 pts (range 7–7 of 7)

      Confirmed by a cited official source, so it scores its full 7 of 100 operating points.

    • Lodging tax or fees5.00 pts (range 5–5 of 5)

      Confirmed by a cited official source, so it scores its full 5 of 100 operating points.

    What we could not confirm — and what to ask

    We found no official source resolving these 1 criteria either way. They are not treated as “not required” and are not scored as zero. Confirm each one with the department listed below before you rely on it.

    • Inspection or life-safety certification — unknown; could add 0–16 points.

    The rubric

    How the category is set on the 0–100 scale: 80+ reads very high / effectively restricted and requires a documented severe market-access trigger; 60–79 reads high access constraints and requires a documented major access constraint (or two moderate ones); 40–59 reads moderate / structured, which is the ceiling for jurisdictions whose confirmed rules are operating requirements only; 20–39 reads lower regulatory burden; below 20 reads minimal STR-specific burden located. A documented official-source search that resolves criteria and finds no short-term-rental-specific requirement reads “no local STR-specific regulation located in reviewed official sources” — which is not a statement that operating here is unrestricted, legal, or low-risk. Unconfirmed criteria never count as permissive. How to confirm the rest yourself.

    Who to ask in City of Folly Beach, South Carolina

    Department-level contact details as published on the jurisdiction’s own website. We do not publish individual staff contact information.

    • City of Folly Beach — Short Term Rental Team (Business License Office)

      STR licensing, registration, waitlist, and compliance questions

      rentals@follybeach.gov

      Published at this official page · checked

    • City of Folly Beach — Business License & STR (Rental Compliance Managers)

      New business license applications, rental compliance

      licenses@follybeach.gov

      Published at this official page · checked

    • City of Folly Beach — Business License & Short-Term Rental Office

      Obtain a rental license and ask about short-term rental licensing, registration, and tax requirements

      licenses@follybeach.gov

      Published at this official page · checked

    General research checklist (not City of Folly Beach, South Carolina specific)

    These are the categories short-term rental owners check anywhere in the US. They are general prompts, not this jurisdiction’s ordinance.

    Occupancy limits
    Most jurisdictions tie maximum overnight occupancy to bedroom count, septic capacity, or a fixed cap. Confirm the current figure for your specific parcel with the City of Folly Beach before advertising a sleeping capacity.
    Parking
    On-site parking counts and prohibitions on street or shoulder parking are among the most commonly enforced short-term rental provisions. Verify the required count with the City of Folly Beach and state it plainly in your listing.
    Life-safety requirements
    Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers, egress, and posted evacuation information are typical requirements. Some jurisdictions inspect; others self-certify. Verify which applies.
    Local responsible party
    Many ordinances require a named local contact who can respond to the property within a set time. Confirm whether a contact is required, what response window applies, and how it must be filed with the City of Folly Beach.
    Renewal and enforcement
    Registrations and permits generally renew on a fixed cycle, and enforcement is usually complaint-driven with escalating penalties. Confirm the renewal date, fee, and enforcement process with the City of Folly Beach.
    Lodging and sales tax
    State and local lodging or occupancy taxes may be collected by the booking platform, by you, or split. Confirm current collection responsibility with both the taxing authority and your platform — platform collection agreements change.

    Confirm these directly — we could not verify them

    We publish gaps rather than guesses. The following were not confirmable from a current official source at our last review.

    • Needs confirmation — § 117.04 'Additional requirements for short term rentals' text (inspections, specific safety-equipment requirements) was located in table of contents but full section text was not fully captured/verified line-by-line in this session — categorized items above rely on § 117.01–117.03 text that was fully reviewed.
    • Needs confirmation — Exact current numeric accommodations/hospitality tax rate for Folly Beach was not confirmed from a fully-loaded official page in this session; the hospitality tax ordinance PDF (charlestoncounty.gov) was identified but full rate schedule not extracted.
    • Needs confirmation — No separate 'Short-Term Rental Enforcement' page content (cityoffollybeach.com/departments/short-term_rentals.php linked page 'Short-Term Rental Enforcement') was rendered in full text form during this session due to JS-heavy page structure.
    • Whether any cap or waiting list currently limits new rental licenses
    • Current license fees, renewal dates, and inspection requirements under Chapter 117
    • Local accommodations taxes and business license obligations in addition to state tax

    Official sources

    Government sources only. If a link has moved, go to the jurisdiction’s main site and search for short-term or vacation rentals.

    Change log

    • — Entry published. Official source links checked; no jurisdiction-specific ordinance text confirmed.

    Operating a rental here?

    Compliance is the owner’s responsibility in every model, including ours. What a co-host can do is keep the listing, messaging, and pricing consistent with the rules you confirm.

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    Nearby jurisdictions

    Found a change in City of Folly Beach, South Carolina?

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