News Flash

After more than six months of careful study and deliberation, the City of Charleston Short Term Rental Task Force voted 9-2 this evening to send their proposal to the city’s Planning Commission for consideration.

The Task Force’s proposal is a comprehensive set of reforms designed to better regulate the short term rental industry. Under the proposal, STRs must be registered, licensed, and owner occupied, with a limit of four adult guests per night. In addition, STR’s in the Old and Historic District must be on the National Register of Historic Places. Elsewhere in the city, STR’s must be in buildings that are defined as historic, meaning that they are at least 50 years old.

The 9-2 majority represented a broad cross-section of Task Force members, including representatives of both the Historic Charleston Foundation and the Preservation Society of Charleston.

As a part of the STR reform process, the city is also working to budget additional enforcement officers for 2018, in order to ensure that new regulations are followed.

“This far-reaching and carefully balanced proposal is compatible with our city’s neighborhoods and protects our residents’ quality of life,” said city Planning Director Jacob Lindsey. “That’s a remarkable accomplishment, and yet another example of how much our city benefits from the work of citizen commissions like this one.”