- Where to book
- Vrbo, Airbnb or a local manager
- Best for
- Families, groups and longer stays
- Hotels instead
- Listed on our Bluffton hotels page
- Beach
- Across the bridges on Hilton Head
Bluffton Vacation Rentals
Bluffton vacation rentals are houses, cottages and condos that owners let by the night or the week, from Old Town cottages to homes inside Palmetto Bluff.
Search Bluffton rentals on VrboVacation rentals in Bluffton, SC are private homes, cottages and condos rented by the night, week or month. Bluffton is a town on the mainland side of the Hilton Head bridges, so a rental here suits a trip built around Old Town, Palmetto Bluff, golf on the mainland courses or family in Sun City. If the trip is for the beach, look on Hilton Head instead. Below: where to look, what to check before you book, and what an owner has to do to rent a Bluffton home legally.
Where to Find Vacation Rentals in Bluffton
Almost every Bluffton rental is listed on Vrbo or Airbnb, some through a local property manager. The button at the top of this page opens a Vrbo search of the whole Bluffton area, so you can compare neighborhoods side by side. Two guides on this site cover neighboring markets: Palmetto Bluff rentals for the gated community on the May River, and our Hilton Head vacation rentals guide for the island and its rental companies.
Old Town Bluffton Rentals
Old Town is the historic riverfront district, with its cottages and older homes on shaded streets a walk from Calhoun Street’s restaurants, galleries and the May River dock. A rental here is the closest thing in Bluffton to a walkable vacation: you can leave the car parked and go out to dinner on foot. See the Old Town Bluffton guide for what is within a walk.
Rentals Inside Palmetto Bluff
Palmetto Bluff is a gated community on the May River with its own villages and restaurants. Cottages and houses there are rented on the big rental sites, and they are a different stay from the rest of Bluffton: gated, spread out and quiet. The Palmetto Bluff rentals page covers them, and the Palmetto Bluff guide covers the community.
Longer Stays and Furnished Rentals
For a month or more, a rented house is one option and an extended-stay hotel is another: the Candlewood Suites and the Extended Stay America in Bluffton are the extended-stay hotels in town. If you are relocating, our Bluffton apartments for rent page covers leases and Bluffton real estate covers buying.
Renting Out a Bluffton Home: Town Permit Rules
Inside the Town of Bluffton, a home cannot be advertised or let as a short-term rental until it has a Short-term Rental Unit Permit under Chapter 6, Article V of the Town’s Code of Ordinances, and a Town business license comes first. Each unit needs its own application, and the permit is renewed every year. The Town requires one off-street parking space per bedroom, and in the zoning districts the Town lists it allows one rental unit per lot. The owner, or an agent the owner names, has to be the primary contact: 18 or older, reachable around the clock and able to reach the property within an hour of a call.
The Town’s short-term rentals page has the application, the checklist and the owner’s responsibilities. Some Bluffton addresses sit outside the Town limits, and communities such as Palmetto Bluff set their own rental rules on top, so confirm which applies before you list.
Plan the Rest of Your Stay
Every hotel in Bluffton, SC: Old Town Bluffton Inn, May River Manor, Spark by Hilton, the US 278 chains near Sun City, and Montage Palmetto Bluff.
Palmetto Bluff rentals: cottages and vacation homes in Wilson Village, what to ask about club access, long-term leases and renting out your home.
Compare Hilton Head vacation rental companies — phone numbers, websites, and what each specializes in, to help find the right fit for your stay.
RV parks and campgrounds in Bluffton, SC: Hilton Head National RV Resort, Stoney Crest and two resorts in nearby Hardeeville.
Bluffton, SC, across the bridges from Hilton Head: Old Town on the May River, where to eat, what to do, hotels, the grocery run and Palmetto Bluff.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there vacation rentals in Bluffton, SC?
Yes. Homes, cottages and condos across Bluffton are listed on Vrbo and Airbnb, and some are handled by local property managers.
Is it cheaper to rent in Bluffton than on Hilton Head?
Rates vary by house, neighborhood and season, so compare the listings for your dates.
Can you walk to restaurants from a Bluffton rental?
In Old Town, yes: the cottages near Calhoun Street are a walk from restaurants, galleries and the river. Most other Bluffton rentals are a drive from dinner.
Does Bluffton have a beach?
Not an ocean beach. Bluffton has river and creek access and parks on the May River, and Hilton Head’s beaches are a drive across the bridges.
Do you need a permit to rent out a house in Bluffton?
Inside the Town of Bluffton, yes: a Town business license and then a Short-term Rental Unit Permit, renewed every year. The Town’s short-term rentals page has the application.
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