LicensedRental

Pickens County, South Carolina

Pickens (city), SC vacation rental requirements

We found no short-term rental permit in the City of Pickens code, but every residential rental needs a city operating license, and the city added a 3% accommodations tax in 2024. Small cottage-style rental developments are possible in RM-16 zones with approval.

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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Rental license
Required for residential rentals
Operating license from the business license inspector (§9-101).Source
Short-term rental developments
RM-16 only, with zoning board approval
Tiny houses or cottages; minimum 2 acres.Source
Taxes
8% state + 3% city + county fee
Pickens County adds 1.5% inside city limits.Source

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

  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.

Pickens County, South Carolina

  1. Register for the county fee

    File the county accommodations fee with Pickens County monthly, quarterly, or yearly depending on your volume. Inside a city it’s 1.5%, and the city may add its own tax.Source

  2. Then your city or area

    Pick your area.

City of Pickens

  1. Get a rental operating license

    Apply with the city’s business license office before renting. Ask whether a short-term rental needs anything more at your address.Source

  2. 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. File the city’s 3% local accommodations tax with the City of Pickens and the 1.5% county fee with Pickens 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.