Hilton Head Island Vacation Rentals by Owner
Hilton Head’s rental homes, villas and condos belong to individual owners, and many of them hand the bookings to a local company. Book direct with the island companies that manage owners’ homes, and know what to check on any listing.
Book Direct With HHI.com Partner Companies
These two island companies manage owners’ homes, villas and condos across Hilton Head, and take bookings direct. The name opens the company’s profile here, with its reviews, office and phone number.
More Local Companies That Rent Owners’ Homes
Each of these companies is based on or near the island and rents homes on behalf of their owners. Call the office, or open the profile to see what the company rents and where.
Villas and houses in Sea Pines, Palmetto Dunes and Forest Beach.
Oceanfront homes and villas in Sea Pines, Forest Beach and Palmetto Dunes.
Local franchise listing homes on its own site and the big booking sites.
Houses and condos across the island, from an office on New Orleans Road.
Boutique manager of vacation homes in Sea Pines only.
National brands and the resorts’ own rental programs are in the full rental company directory.
Why Book Through a Local Company
A listing on a booking site shows you the home. A local company is who looks after it. The Town requires the owner or a short-term rental agent to respond within an hour of any complaint, and a company with an office on the island can be that agent, so the number you call reaches someone nearby.
The company also handles the island-specific parts of a stay. In Sea Pines it buys your gate pass in advance, tied to the home’s rental control number, and in Shipyard your pass waits at the gate the company names. Its ads carry the Town permit number the owner is required to show, and it can tell you which of the homes it manages fit your dates, your party and your dog.
What to Check on Any Rental Listing
Find the Town permit number
The Town of Hilton Head Island requires the owner to list a valid short-term rental permit number in every ad, whether it runs on a company site, Vrbo or Airbnb. No number in the listing is a reason to ask why.
Ask who arranges the gate pass
Inside a gated community the pass comes through whoever you book with. In Sea Pines, companies and owners who rent short term buy passes in advance, each tied to a rental control number; a booking made within 48 hours of arrival means a $20 weekly rental pass at the gate.
Count the parking spaces
The owner has to tell guests how many driveway spaces the home has, and the Town allows at most six. If your party is coming in several cars, ask before you book.
Know who answers at night
The owner or a short-term rental agent must respond within one hour of a complaint. Ask for the number you call if the air conditioning fails at midnight, and whether someone is on the island to come out.
Compare the total, not the nightly rate
Cleaning fees, booking or processing fees and taxes are added to the rate, and a listing site such as Vrbo adds its own traveler service fee at checkout. Price the same dates through the site and the company, then compare the final totals.
Read the cancellation terms
Each company and owner sets their own. Island Rentals of Hilton Head, for one, makes any booking of 28 days or more non-refundable and recommends travel insurance for a long stay.
The Town’s short-term rental page has a public permits and violations dashboard, and a 24-hour hotline, 843-341-6864, for parking, trash and noise problems at a rental. Staying 30 days or more? The Town’s permit rules cover stays shorter than that; the monthly rentals page lists the companies that rent by the month.
Own a Rental Home? What a Local Manager Takes On
Renting your Hilton Head home for less than 30 days takes a Town short-term rental permit, a business license and a quarterly Town tax return, and the permit number has to appear on every ad. Someone has to respond within an hour of any complaint, and Sea Pines owners buy their renters’ gate passes in advance. A local property manager can be that short-term rental agent, and take on the cleaning, the gate passes and the guest calls.
The property management directory lists the island companies that take on owners’ homes, and the short-term rental permit guide has every fee and deadline.
Every Hilton Head property management company in one free list — phones, island offices and websites, for owners choosing who rents out their home.
Hilton Head short term rental permit: the $150-per-bedroom fee, the April 30 deadline, the ordinance's new rules, the business license and the 3% Town tax.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rent a Hilton Head vacation home directly from the owner?
Many island owners rent their homes through a local company, which takes the booking for them. Booking with that company directly puts you in touch with the people who manage the home, arrange the gate pass and answer the phone when something breaks. HHI.com partners Island Rentals of Hilton Head and Coastal Vacation Rentals are listed first.
Do Hilton Head rentals need a permit?
Yes. A privately owned home, villa or condo rented for less than 30 days needs a Town of Hilton Head Island short-term rental permit, and the owner must show the permit number in every advertisement. See the short-term rental permit guide.
Is it cheaper to book a rental through a local company than on Vrbo?
It can be. Vrbo adds a traveler service fee at checkout, and a local company charges its own cleaning and booking fees. Price the same home and dates both ways and compare the final total.
How do I get a gate pass for a rental in Sea Pines?
Whoever you book with buys the pass from the Sea Pines Community Services Associates in advance, tied to your booking’s rental control number. If the booking came together less than 48 hours before arrival, buy a $20 weekly rental pass at the gate. The Sea Pines gate pass office page has every pass.
I own a Hilton Head rental. Do I need a property manager?
You can run it yourself or name a short-term rental agent. Either way, every permitted rental needs someone who responds within an hour of a complaint, a permit number on every ad and a quarterly Town tax return. The property management directory lists the island companies that take on owners’ homes.
More Places to Stay
Hilton Head vacation rentals: beach houses, condos and villas by beach area and complex, who manages them, dog-friendly homes, and how renting works.
Hilton Head rental companies grouped by what each rents, from resort programs to Sea Pines specialists, with phone numbers and links to each one.
Hilton Head monthly rentals and winter stays: the island rental companies that rent by the month, the 30- and 90-day rules and taxes, and winter weather.
Hilton Head rentals for large groups: the companies with a group page, one house or several villas, and the Town and gate rules for a big party.
Pet-friendly rentals in Hilton Head: which communities and complexes allow dogs, the beach leash rules by season, and companies with pet filters.
Keep exploring
Two hotels sit inside Palmetto Dunes: the Omni and the Hilton Beachfront Resort & Spa, once the Hilton Head Marriott. Addresses, gate passes, alternatives.
Leamington is a gated neighborhood at the south end of Palmetto Dunes: homes and villas for sale, golf-cart beach access, a lighthouse and rental rules.
Places to stay on Hilton Head Island: how resorts, hotels, rentals, timeshares and RV sites compare, plus Sea Pines vs Palmetto Dunes.
Hilton Head vacation rentals: beach houses, condos and villas by beach area and complex, who manages them, dog-friendly homes, and how renting works.
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