Hilton Head Short-Term Rental Permits

The Town of Hilton Head Island requires a permit for any home, villa or condo rented for less than 30 days at a time, whether it is a single-family house in a gated community or a one-bedroom oceanfront condo. Timeshares and hotels are not covered. Each rental unit needs its own permit, and a permit cannot be refunded or passed to a new owner, so a buyer applies again after closing.

Applications and renewals go through the Town’s short-term rental portal, run by GovOS, which also tracks listings and complaints. A single-family home files a site plan showing where guests park and where the trash goes. The owner must already hold an active Town business license.

A three-bedroom villa now pays $450 a year and a six-bedroom house $900, where both paid $250 before. Budget for the permit, the business license and the quarterly tax returns together, since all three renew in spring.

The Town amended its short-term rental ordinance in 2025, and the new rules apply from the permit year that began May 1, 2026. On top of the permit itself, a rental has to meet these:

• Fire safety in large homes. A home of 3,600 square feet or more needs a sprinkler system or a UL-monitored alarm with smoke detection in every bedroom.

• Gas grills. An outdoor propane grill needs a 60-minute automatic shut-off valve, and the home a combustible gas alarm.

• Bedrooms. Every room advertised as a bedroom has to meet the building code for one.

• Parking. No more than six vehicles in the driveway.

• HOA approval. Where a homeowners’ or property owners’ association governs the home, a letter from it comes with the application.

• The permit number on every ad. Airbnb, Vrbo, a management company’s site and any other listing.

• A named person. The application names an individual, not only an LLC.

• A responsible party. Someone reachable around the clock who responds within an hour of a complaint, by phone or with a visit.

Neighbors report noise, trash and parking problems to the Town’s 24-hour STR Rapid Response Hotline, 843-341-6864, which calls the responsible party. Violations bring a notice, then citations and fines, and repeated violations can cost the permit or the business license. The Town publishes a map of permitted rentals and violations, and the full ordinance is in its Municipal Code.

Anyone doing business inside town limits needs a Town of Hilton Head Island business license, and renting a property short-term counts. The license year also runs May 1 to April 30; the Town mails renewal forms by the end of January and renewals are due April 30, online or at Town Hall. The amount is based on the previous year’s gross rental income, and late renewals add 5% a month. Revenue Services: 843-341-4677. More on the license and Town Hall: Town of Hilton Head Island.

Stays of less than 90 days pay the Town 3% of gross rental proceeds: a 1% local accommodations tax and a 2% Beach Preservation Fee. Open an account with the Town’s Revenue Services and file every quarter, by April 20, July 20, October 20 and January 20, even for a quarter with no bookings; late returns add 5% a month.

South Carolina’s sales and accommodations taxes are separate and go to the SC Department of Revenue. Airbnb and Vrbo collect some of these taxes for some hosts, so check what each platform remits before filing.

Property managers: the per-bedroom fee, the April 30 deadline and the permit number on every listing land on you. Check each owner’s bedroom count against what the listing advertises, since an advertised bedroom now has to meet code, and agree in the management contract who renews the permit and the license, who files the Town tax, and who is the 24-hour responsible party.

Owners comparing companies can start with our list of property management companies on Hilton Head. For a guest welcome book, the island’s plastic bag ban is worth a line, so guests pack a tote for the grocery run.