LicensedRental

Colleton County, South Carolina

Edisto Beach, SC vacation rental requirements

Edisto Beach allows vacation rentals in its residential zones. Every rental needs a town business license. Stays pay 12% tax: 9% state-collected, a 2% town accommodation fee filed monthly with the town, and Colleton County’s 1%.

Checked against official sources November 6, 2026

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Zoning
Allowed in R-1, R-2, R-7
Short-term lodging is a permitted use of the homes allowed in each district.Source
Business license
Required for every rental
From Town Hall, 2414 Murray Street. Owners outside the 29438 ZIP pay double rates.Source
Taxes
12%
9% state-collected + 2% town + 1% Colleton County.Source

Rental properties are assessed at 6% unless they qualify as your legal residence.

Your licensing checklist

In order: the state, the county, then the town.

State of South Carolina

  1. Get a retail license for direct bookings

    If you take bookings yourself, you need a SCDOR retail license for each rental property and must file and pay electronically through MyDORWAY. If you rent only through a property manager or an online travel company that takes the payment, they remit the state tax and you don’t need a license. Rent no more than one week a quarter and you can file once a year instead.Source

    MyDORWAY →

  2. Know what the platform collects

    Airbnb collects the 5% sales tax, 2% accommodations tax, and the local sales taxes the state collects, on its bookings. It also collects some county and city accommodations taxes, but only in the places it lists. Everything else is yours to file.Source

  3. Register for local taxes

    Many counties and cities charge their own accommodations tax (up to 3%), a hospitality tax, or a beach preservation fee. They collect these directly, so you register with the county or city even if a platform pays your state tax.Source

  4. Check your property tax rate

    A home that is your legal residence keeps the 4% assessment ratio only if it is rented out 72 days or less a year. Rent it more and it is taxed as a 6% rental property. Ask your county assessor.Source

  5. Then your county and city

    Business licenses, rental permits, and zoning are where South Carolina towns differ most. Pick your area.

Colleton County, South Carolina

  1. Register for the county accommodations tax

    File the county tax with Colleton County by the 20th. You can file quarterly if you owe $25–$50 a month, or once a year if you owe under $25.Source

  2. Then your town or area

    Pick your area.

Town of Edisto Beach

  1. Get a town business license

    Apply at Town Hall or call the Building Department at 843-869-2505 ext. 203. License rates depend on class and gross income, and owners outside the 29438 ZIP pay double.Source

  2. Register for state and local taxes

    The state-collected tax on stays here is 9% (state sales and accommodations tax plus local sales taxes). Airbnb collects it on its bookings; for direct bookings, get a SCDOR retail license and file through MyDORWAY. Send the town’s 2% accommodation fee to the Town of Edisto Beach by the 20th of each month, with a copy of your state return; Airbnb collects the 2% town fee on its bookings. File the 1% Colleton County tax with the county.Source

Sources

A plain-language summary to help you prepare, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; confirm with the office before you apply. Spot something out of date? Email hello@licensedrental.com.