Mount Pleasant Airbnb Rules & Investment Guide (2026)

Mount Pleasant STR Investment Decision

A viable purchase depends on Town jurisdiction, current waitlist position, permit availability, nontransferability, ownership limits, private restrictions, operating readiness, taxes, and property-specific economics.

• Confirm that the parcel is inside the Town of Mount Pleasant rather than unincorporated Charleston County or another municipality.
• Verify permit availability and waitlist position with the Town before waiving acquisition contingencies.
• Treat a seller’s permit as nontransferable; a buyer must submit a new application and review fee.
• Review neighborhood covenants and restrictions because they can prohibit short-term rentals even when Town rules otherwise allow the use.
• Budget permit, business-license, insurance, tax, safety, management, operating, and reserve costs before committing capital.

Mount Pleasant STR Eligibility and Cap

The Town caps permitted residential short-term rental units at 400 and directs new applicants through its waitlist when the cap is reached.

• The ordinance covers a residential dwelling unit or portion rented for less than 30 consecutive days.
• A residential dwelling must have complete living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation facilities.
• Triplex, quadplex, and multiplex structures are prohibited from short-term rental use.
• The number of permits issued to one permitholder is limited to two.
• The Town’s current program page says renewal applications have ended and instructs interested owners to request the waitlist by email; verify current availability before purchase.

Mount Pleasant STR Permit and Renewal

Each short-term rental needs an annual Town permit followed by an annual Town business license.

• Email the Town with the property address, owner contact information, and proposed rental type to request waitlist placement.
• The application must identify the rental form, bedrooms, on-site parking, operator, local agent, occupancy, insurance, covenants, and required certifications.
• Current operators apply and pay annual fees during the November 15 through December 15 renewal period stated in the ordinance.
• A business license is issued only after the short-term rental permit is issued.
• Display the business-license number and maximum occupancy prominently inside the rental.

Mount Pleasant STR Permit Fees

The current ordinance sets different nonrefundable application fees by operating model.

• The nonrefundable application fee is $250 for an owner-occupied short-term rental.
• The nonrefundable application fee is $500 for a whole-house rental or accessory dwelling unit.
• An illegally operating property applying after the prior year is assessed a $500 penalty fee in addition to standard permit fees.
• A permit transfer request allowed after the death of a qualifying joint tenant carries a $100 nonrefundable review fee.
• Confirm current application, business-license, renewal, penalty, and tax-account charges directly with the Town before closing.

Mount Pleasant STR Operating Duties

The operator and local agent must control occupancy, parking, guest notices, records, insurance, and response throughout operation.

• Whole-house occupancy cannot exceed two people per bedroom plus two additional people; accessory dwelling unit occupancy is limited to three.
• Provide at least one additional off-street parking space for each residential dwelling unit rented as an STR and disclose the renter vehicle limit.
• Designate a local agent who can physically respond to the property within 60 minutes during an emergency.
• Provide the responsible renter with the property address, emergency contacts, operator or agent contact, and Town rules covering noise, trash, parking, litter, occupancy, and golf carts.
• Maintain signatory contact information and an occupancy certification for every rental, plus general liability insurance and required compliance records.

Mount Pleasant STR Violations and Appeals

Guest conduct and operator violations can trigger warnings, monetary penalties, revocation, nonrenewal, or separate sanctions for unpermitted operation.

• The first and second violations receive written warnings under the graduated process.
• A third violation carries a $500 penalty and another warning.
• A fourth violation triggers notice of permit revocation and business-license revocation or nonrenewal proceedings.
• Operating without a valid permit can bring a fine up to $500, up to 30 days of imprisonment, a civil penalty up to $1,000, and a one-year application bar.
• A permittee may submit evidence within 10 days of a certified violation notice; the ordinance also provides an appeal path for administrative decisions.

Mount Pleasant STR Lodging Taxes

Official state and local schedules produce a 13% lodging tax and fee stack for a typical taxable stay under 30 days in Mount Pleasant.

• South Carolina accommodations are subject to 5% sales tax plus 2% state accommodations tax for stays under 90 consecutive days.
• The 2026 SCDOR rate schedule lists a 10% total accommodations rate for Mount Pleasant in Charleston County, including SCDOR-administered local taxes.
• Charleston County imposes a separate 2% local accommodations fee, and Mount Pleasant imposes a 1% accommodations fee remitted through the County.
• Airbnb and Vrbo may remit County and Town lodging charges, but Charleston County requires operators to report monthly gross receipts even when a platform remits tax.
• Confirm taxable charges, stay-length rules, platform collection, direct-booking registration, monthly reporting, and every amount still owed with SCDOR and Charleston County.

Mount Pleasant STR Costs and Contingencies

Property-level underwriting should reflect permit uncertainty and every ownership, setup, operating, and tax obligation.

• Budget acquisition, title, $250 or $500 application cost, business licensing, legal review, association diligence, insurance, and safety work.
• Include furnishing, utilities, cleaning, maintenance, local-agent coverage, management, platform charges, taxes, and reserves.
• Stress-test waitlist duration, permit denial, nontransferability, lower booked nights, lower rates, higher expenses, violations, tax timing, and replacement costs.
• Verify legal dwelling type, certificate of occupancy, bedrooms, parking, covenants, insurance, condition, and local-agent availability for the exact parcel.
• Base revenue assumptions on dated property-level comparable bookings with stay rules, capacity, fees, and achievable availability.

Mount Pleasant STR Contacts and Support

Use the office or portal responsible for waitlists, permits, licensing, taxes, complaints, enforcement, or property-selection questions.

• Mount Pleasant Short-Term Rentals: 843-884-1229 or str@tompsc.com for waitlist, permit, renewal, eligibility, and appeal questions; Jane Yager-Baumrind is the published STR Coordinator.
• Mount Pleasant Business License Division: 843-849-2786 or newlicense@tompsc.com after permit issuance.
• Use the Town STR public portal to verify permitted properties and submit concerns, or email the STR office.
• South Carolina Department of Revenue: 803-898-5970 for state accommodations-tax questions; Charleston County Revenue Collections: 843-202-6095 for local filing and monthly reporting.
• Confirm Town jurisdiction, permit availability, and parcel-specific eligibility before relying on an operating outcome or waiving acquisition contingencies.

Before waiving acquisition contingencies, plan a Mount Pleasant property strategy call to review Town jurisdiction, waitlist risk, the proposed operating model, and setup scope. STR Search can assist with property selection and setup planning, while the Town remains the authority for legal eligibility and permit approval.

Mount Pleasant Official STR Sources

Rules, waitlist status, fees, operations, enforcement, taxes, and contacts checked September 28, 2026.

• Town of Mount Pleasant short-term rental program.
• Mount Pleasant current Code of Ordinances, Part 6.
• Town short-term rental public portal.
• South Carolina accommodations-tax guidance and 2026 rate schedule.
• Charleston County local accommodations-tax guidance.