Hilton Head Island, SC short-term rental permit
Since May 1, 2026, new town rules govern short-term rentals on Hilton Head Island. Homes of 3,600 square feet or more without a fire suppression system must add a monitored fire alarm. Existing permits have until May 1, 2027.[5]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 1, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Hilton Head Island?
Get a permit first
What you apply for: Short-term rental permit
- Seasonal homes
- 7,599
- Housing units
- 30,112
- Residents
- 37,911
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City rulePermit required
- City fee$150
- Tax on each stay10%
- Seasonal homes252 per 1,000
Hilton Head Island short-term rental permit
Hilton Head Island approves short-term rentals one property at a time, each with a town permit separate from the annual business license. The permit fee is $150 per bedroom each year, replacing a fixed $250 fee. Permits run from May 1 to April 30. They cannot be transferred or refunded. Each one covers only the property named on it. A renewal filed late pays a $250 fee, with April 30 as the yearly deadline after 2026. The town also requires compliance with South Carolina accommodations tax law.[6]
What Hilton Head Island asks of you
A permit is required before a property is advertised, offered or used for stays of less than 30 consecutive days.[5]
Each unit needs its own permit, even when several units share one parcel. A permit is not valid without a town certificate of occupancy.[5]
The fee is $150 per bedroom a year, which replaced a fixed $250 permit fee.[6]
Renting out even one home counts as doing business in town. Short-term landlords need a business license, as long-term ones do.[5]
When an entity owns the property, the application names a natural person with legal authority to act for it.[5]
The application includes at least one advertisement. For a detached home, it also includes a site plan showing parking and trash storage.[5]
The owner or agent stays reachable by phone during every stay. They must be able to respond within one hour of a town call.[5]
Guests park only in approved off-street spaces, with no more than six exterior spaces on one property.[5]
Every advertisement lists the permit number and the number of bedrooms. It also states the maximum number of vehicles allowed.[5]
An exterior gas grill needs an automatic shut-off timer allowing no more than 60 minutes of gas flow.[5]
Administrative fines are $250 for a first infraction and $500 for a second within a year. Later infractions within a year cost $1,000 each.[5]
More than three administrative citations in 12 months allow the town to suspend a permit for a year, pending a Town Council hearing.[5]
What South Carolina asks wherever you host
These rules apply at this address whatever the city decides.
Any stay shorter than 90 continuous days owes South Carolina's 5% sales tax and its 2% accommodations tax. A platform that takes the booking with the payment remits both for you.[1]
Hosts who take any booking themselves need a Department of Revenue license for each rental location. File each return by the 20th of the month that follows its filing period.[1]
A legal residence assessed at 4% moves to the 6% ratio in any calendar year it is rented for over 72 days.[2]
The state's Vacation Rental Act requires each stay under 90 days to come with a written agreement. Guests must leave when authorities order a mandatory evacuation.[3]
What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in Hilton Head Island
Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.
| Layer | Rate | Remitted to |
|---|---|---|
| South Carolina state sales tax, stays under 90 days[1] | 5% | The state revenue department |
| South Carolina state accommodations tax, stays under 90 days[1] | 2% | The state revenue department |
| Hilton Head Island accommodations tax[7] | 1% | The city |
| Hilton Head Island beach preservation fee[7] | 2% | The city |
| Total on a taxable stay | 10% |
The state rate chart lists no local sales tax in Beaufort County. On Hilton Head Island, SCDOR therefore collects only the state's 7% on accommodations.[4]
Airbnb taxes for hostsWhat the census counts
How much of Hilton Head Island is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 7,599 of Hilton Head Island's 30,112 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 252 out of every 1,000. It ranks Hilton Head Island 4th of the 5 South Carolina cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 4th of 5
- Share of housing
- 252 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $687,400
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Hilton Head Island sits among its neighbors
Charleston, SC
Primary residence only
In your full-time primary residence at the 4% Legal Residence rate. Commercially zoned properties in the overlay are the exception.
Charleston short-term rental rulesNorth Myrtle Beach, SC
License required
13,347 seasonal homes, 483 per 1,000 housing units.
North Myrtle Beach short-term rental rulesFolly Beach, SC
Capped
1,053 seasonal homes, 474 per 1,000 housing units.
Folly Beach short-term rental rulesMyrtle Beach, SC
Allowed by zone
4,223 seasonal homes, 173 per 1,000 housing units.
Myrtle Beach short-term rental rulesFAQ
Hilton Head Island short-term rental questions
How much is a Hilton Head Island short-term rental permit?
Do I have to show my Hilton Head permit number on Airbnb?
What local taxes apply to a Hilton Head Island rental?
Sources
- Accommodations Tax, South Carolina Department of Revenue, read on October 1, 2026
- S.C. Code § 12-43-220, assessment ratios and the 4% legal residence ratio, South Carolina Legislature, read on October 1, 2026
- S.C. Code §§ 27-50-210 to 27-50-270, South Carolina Vacation Rental Act, South Carolina Legislature, read on October 1, 2026
- ST-575, South Carolina sales tax rates by municipality (revised February 5, 2026), South Carolina Department of Revenue, read on October 1, 2026
- Town Code, Title 10, business licenses and Chapter 2, Short-Term Rentals (Ordinance 2025-20), Town of Hilton Head Island, via Municode, read on October 1, 2026
- Short-Term Rental Permits, Town of Hilton Head Island, read on October 1, 2026
- Short-Term Rental (STR) Program, Town of Hilton Head Island, read on October 1, 2026
This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on October 1, 2026. Rules can change after that date, so check with the issuing office before you apply or publish a listing.
Before you list
Free tools for new hosts
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