LicensedRental

Dorchester County, South Carolina

Unincorporated Dorchester County, SC vacation rental requirements

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

Checked against official sources November 6, 2026

Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.

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County rental permit
None found
Taxes
8%

We found no short-term rental rules in the county code in November 2026. Ask Dorchester County Planning and Zoning whether your district allows it and whether you need a business license. Summers Corner and Nexton are partly in Summerville, so check your address.

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.

Dorchester County, South Carolina

  1. Pick your area

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

Dorchester County (unincorporated areas)

  1. Register for state and local taxes

    The state-collected tax on stays here is 8% (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. We found no county accommodations tax in the county code; ask the county.Source

  2. Ask about zoning and a business license

    Ask the Dorchester County (unincorporated areas) whether zoning allows a short-term rental at your address and whether you need a business license. Check your HOA rules too.

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.