North Myrtle Beach, SC short-term rental license
North Myrtle Beach City Council began weighing a dedicated short-term rental ordinance at a November 20, 2024 workshop. As of October 2, 2026, the city's page records no such ordinance. For now, the city relies on business licensing plus its trash, parking and noise rules.[5]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 2, 2026.
Can you rent short term in North Myrtle Beach?
Get a license first
What you apply for: City business license
- Seasonal homes
- 13,347
- Housing units
- 27,608
- Residents
- 19,855
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleLicense required
- City feeNone published
- Tax on each stay12%
- Seasonal homes483 per 1,000
North Myrtle Beach short-term rental license
As of October 2, 2026, a city business license is the only local approval a North Myrtle Beach short-term rental needs. City zoning does not generally restrict where rentals go, though planned development districts, development agreements and HOA documents may. The license year runs May 1 through April 30, with renewal due by April 30. A buyer cannot take over the seller's license. Each year, owners report gross rental receipts with no deduction for rental expenses. The rental accommodations tax is separate from the license.[6]
What North Myrtle Beach asks of you
All short-term rentals in the city must obtain a business license. Owners or managers renew it every year, keeping its information current.[5]
As of October 2, 2026, the city states that no special zoning or permit process applies beyond standard licensing.[5]
Short-term rentals remit rental accommodations tax to the city, the county and the state.[5]
Licenses do not transfer when a property sells. Owners report gross rental receipts every year, with no deduction for rental expenses.[6]
In its parking article, the city counts any dwelling unit rented for less than 90 days as a short-term rental.[7]
At each license application or renewal, the owner reports the compliant on-site parking spaces. That number is also the most vehicles allowed to park on site.[7]
Reported spaces must sit on the owner's private property, outside the right-of-way and not shared with a neighbor.[7]
The maximum number of vehicles must be prominent in every advertisement and agreement. It must also be posted inside the unit.[7]
Advertising a short-term rental online in a way that conflicts with these parking rules is itself a violation.[7]
Any vacation beach home or condominium rented short term must meet the smoke detector rules that apply to hotels.[8]
Refusing to buy a business license brings a summons to municipal court. Conviction can bring fines up to $1,088 plus 30 days in jail, or either penalty alone.[9]
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 North 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] | 2% | The state revenue department |
| Horry County hospitality fee[10] | 1.5% | The county |
| North Myrtle Beach hospitality fee[10] | 1.5% | The city |
| Total on a taxable stay | 12% |
North Myrtle Beach sets the 20th of the next month as the deadline for its 1.5% hospitality fee. Paying on time earns a 2% discount on the fee, while late payment adds 5% a month.[10]
Airbnb taxes for hostsWhat the census counts
How much of North Myrtle Beach is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 13,347 of North Myrtle Beach's 27,608 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 483 out of every 1,000. It ranks North Myrtle Beach 2nd 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
- 2nd of 5
- Share of housing
- 483 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $416,900
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where North 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 rulesMyrtle Beach, SC
Allowed by zone
4,223 seasonal homes, 173 per 1,000 housing units.
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 rulesFolly Beach, SC
Capped
1,053 seasonal homes, 474 per 1,000 housing units.
Folly Beach short-term rental rulesFAQ
North Myrtle Beach short-term rental questions
Does North Myrtle Beach require a short-term rental permit?
How many cars can guests park at a North Myrtle Beach rental?
When does a North Myrtle Beach business license expire?
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
- Short-term Rentals, City of North Myrtle Beach, read on October 2, 2026
- North Myrtle Beach Rental Property Quick Reference, City of North Myrtle Beach, read on October 1, 2026
- Code of Ordinances, Sections 21-44 to 21-51, transient parking in residential neighborhoods, City of North Myrtle Beach, via Municode, read on October 1, 2026
- Code of Ordinances, Section 11-3, housing units used for short term rental, City of North Myrtle Beach, via Municode, read on October 1, 2026
- FAQs, Business Licenses, City of North Myrtle Beach, read on October 1, 2026
- FAQs, Hospitality Fee, City of North Myrtle Beach, 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 2, 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 house rules
Generate a complete PDF house rules document for your property: rules, schedule, amenities, emergency contacts.
Check-in instructions
The message a guest reads before getting in: access, keys, WiFi, parking, contact. English or bilingual output.