LicensedRental

South Carolina county rules

Dorchester County, SC vacation rental rules and taxes

Dorchester County’s rental market is centered on Summerville, which allows short-term rentals only in owner-occupied homes and adds a 2% town accommodations tax. The state-collected rate here is 8%, the lowest in the Charleston area.

Checked against official sources November 6, 2026
Market
About 280 Airbnb listings in Summerville
Plus Ridgeville 20 and part of Ladson (AirROI).Source
State-collected tax
8%
5% sales + 2% state accommodations + 1% transportation tax.Source
County accommodations tax
None found
We found only a hospitality tax on prepared meals in the county code.Source

What to do

  1. Pick your area

    Summerville and the unincorporated county have different rules. Parts of North Charleston are also in Dorchester County.

Towns

Full guide

Summerville

Summerville allows short-term rentals only in a home the owner lives in at least 183 days a year, and the owner must be on site while guests are there. Rentals need town registration, a business license, insurance, and a safety inspection. The town adds a 2% accommodations tax in its Dorchester County part, or 1% in its Berkeley and Charleston County parts.

Full guide

Unincorporated Dorchester County

We found no county short-term rental permit or county accommodations tax in unincorporated Dorchester County’s code. Stays pay 8% state-collected tax.

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 Spot something out of date?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.