Richland County passed an ordinance on April 9 to attempt to regulate short-term rentals. The ordinance requires Airbnbs, VRBO and other short-term rentals to obtain business licenses and pay a 3% accommodation tax monthly.
The ordinance applies only to unincorporated areas of Richland County, but the City of Columbia previously passed a similar ordinance. Other South Carolina jurisdictions have similar regulations.
Short-term rentals are described as being 30 days or less in duration. The properties will be subject to safety inspections, according to the ordinance. The properties will be required to have at least two parking spaces, and the operators will be required to keep records of all guests who have stayed at the properties during the past two years. The records must include the contact information of the guests.
The County has estimated that it will have no more than 100 short-term rentals particularly since they are only allowed in a handful of mixed-use and commercially-zoned areas of the county. They are not allowed in single-family neighborhoods. The cost of the business licenses will be determined by the annual revenue of the property.