Greenville County, South Carolina
Travelers Rest, SC vacation rental requirements
Travelers Rest requires every short-term rental (under 30 days) to register with the city, pay $250 a year, and pass a yearly safety inspection. Guests are capped at 2 per bedroom or 8 total, and the city adds a 3% accommodations tax.
Checked against official sources November 6, 2026Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.
Renting no more than twice a year for 14 days total is exempt from registration.
A first violation gets a written warning; a second within 12 months revokes registration for 12 months.
Airbnb collects the state-collected tax on its bookings here, but its South Carolina tax article doesn’t list this area’s county or city accommodations tax. File that one yourself for every booking.
Your licensing checklist
In order: the state, the county, then the town.
State of South Carolina
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
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
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
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
Then your county and city
Business licenses, rental permits, and zoning are where South Carolina towns differ most. Pick your area.
Greenville County, South Carolina
Then your city or area
Permits, zoning, and the local accommodations tax are set by each city. Pick your area.
City of Travelers Rest
Register with the city
All owners sign the city’s form, list the number of rental units and last year’s rental days, and pay the fee. If the home isn’t owner-occupied, name a person in charge who lives or has an office within 50 miles.Source
Pass the safety inspection
Inspectors check smoke detectors in every bedroom, hallway, and common area, a 5-lb ABC fire extinguisher, carbon monoxide detectors with gas or an attached garage, egress windows, handrails, pool gates, and a posted evacuation plan on each sleeping room door.Source
Register for state and local taxes
The state-collected tax on stays here is 7% (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. File the city’s 3% local accommodations tax with the City of Travelers Rest for every booking.Source
Inspection checklist
What the inspector looks for, from City of Travelers Rest’s published checklist.
- Evacuation plan posted on each sleeping room door
- Smoke detector in every bedroom, adjoining hallway, and common area; one per story
- Fire extinguisher, 5-lb ABC, charged and in date
- Carbon monoxide detector if gas appliances or attached garage
- House number at least 3 inches tall, visible from the street
House rules for guests
Sources
- Accommodations tax · South Carolina Department of Revenue
- Collection and remittance by Airbnb in South Carolina · Airbnb
- Revenue Ruling #15-4: vacation rentals of a residence · South Carolina Department of Revenue
- Code section · City of Travelers Rest (Municode)
- Code section · City of Travelers Rest (Municode)
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.