Where short-term rentals are allowed in Myrtle Beach, SC
A Myrtle Beach rental has to clear zoning before it can get a license. On the city's zoning map, the zones shaded in pink are the only ones that allow short-term rentals.[5]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 1, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Myrtle Beach?
Your zoning decides
What you apply for: City business license
- Seasonal homes
- 4,223
- Housing units
- 24,419
- Residents
- 38,371
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleAllowed by zone
- City feeNone published
- Tax on each stay13%
- Seasonal homes173 per 1,000
Myrtle Beach short-term rental rules
Myrtle Beach allows short-term rentals only where zoning permits stays of less than 90 days. Every zoning district whose name begins with R rules them out, with one exception: the RMV zone, for Residential Multifamily Visitor. Across traditional residential zones, only 24 houses keep a grandfathered right to rent short term. A home outside the allowed zones cannot be converted to or approved for that use. Where zoning does allow it, a city business license is required. Violations are misdemeanors. Each occurrence can bring a fine of up to $500, up to 30 days, or both.[5]
What Myrtle Beach asks of you
Short-term means any rental of less than 90 days, under both city and state law.[5]
Zoning districts beginning with R do not allow short-term rentals, except the RMV (Residential Multifamily Visitor) zone.[5]
For other districts, the zoning code's permitted use table answers under the heading visitor accommodations.[6]
City-wide, only 24 houses in traditional residential zones are grandfathered, from short-term use that began before the existing zoning.[5]
A property outside the allowed zones cannot be converted to or approved for short-term rental use.[5]
A business license ordinance in effect since June 1, 2015 requires a license for all rental properties, short-term or long-term.[7]
The license fee is calculated on the gross receipts of the business. The city will not issue a license where the location is not zoned for that business.[7]
Short-term rental providers collect a 1% hospitality fee and a 0.5% local accommodations tax. Both are remitted to the city, never to SCDOR.[7]
Zoning and business license violations are misdemeanors, with fines of up to $500 per occurrence upon conviction.[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 Myrtle Beach
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 |
| Local sales taxes collected by SCDOR[4] | 3% | The state revenue department |
| Horry County hospitality fee[8] | 1.5% | The county |
| Myrtle Beach hospitality fee[7] | 1% | The city |
| Myrtle Beach local accommodations tax[7] | 0.5% | The city |
| Total on a taxable stay | 13% |
The state rate chart revised on February 5, 2026 puts the total SCDOR collects on Myrtle Beach accommodations at 10%. That total holds three local sales taxes on top of the state's 7%.[4]
Airbnb taxes for hostsWhat the census counts
How much of Myrtle Beach is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 4,223 of Myrtle Beach's 24,419 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 173 out of every 1,000. It ranks Myrtle Beach 5th 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
- 5th of 5
- Share of housing
- 173 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $388,800
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Myrtle Beach 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 rulesHilton Head Island, SC
Permit required
7,599 seasonal homes, 252 per 1,000 housing units.
Hilton Head Island short-term rental rulesKiawah Island, SC
Capped
2,171 seasonal homes, 562 per 1,000 housing units.
Kiawah Island short-term rental rulesFAQ
Myrtle Beach short-term rental questions
Can I rent my Myrtle Beach house short term in a residential neighborhood?
Do I need a business license for a Myrtle Beach rental?
Which local taxes does a Myrtle Beach host pay to the city?
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
- Planning and Zoning Department, zoning and short-term rentals, City of Myrtle Beach, read on October 1, 2026
- Is your home or neighborhood zoned for short-term rentals?, City of Myrtle Beach, read on October 1, 2026
- Business License FAQs, City of Myrtle Beach, read on October 1, 2026
- Hospitality Fee, Horry County Treasurer, 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
Short-term rental agreement generator
Parties, dates, rent, deposit checked against your state's cap, and the house rules clauses you enforce. A signed-ready PDF for direct and Vrbo bookings.
Airbnb host fee calculator
What Airbnb takes on a booking under the 15.5% host-only fee or the old split fee, what the guest pays on top, and the payout that reaches you.
Airbnb cleaning checklist generator
Build a printable turnover checklist by room, with restock, photos to take and a place for the cleaner to sign. Free PDF, no sign-up.
Check-in instructions
The message a guest reads before getting in: access, keys, WiFi, parking, contact. English or bilingual output.