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South Carolina · Greenville

Greenville

city Restricted Verified · last verified 2026-07-15

Short-term rentals (stays of less than 30 days) in the City of Greenville are regulated as a "General Lodging" use under the Greenville Development Code, which the City states "went into effect on July 15, 2023 and is updated periodically." STRs are PROHIBITED in every residential zoning district and are allowed ONLY in mixed-use/non-residential districts where General Lodging is permitted: "General Lodging is allowed in all MX- and MXS- districts, as well as BG, BH, IX, and CM." The city's published table "Zoning Districts that allow for STRs" lists MX-2, MX-3, MX-5, MX-D, MXS-2, MXS-3, MXS-5, MXS-D, BG, BH, IX, CM; the table "Zoning Districts that do NOT allow for STRs" lists RH-A, RH-B, RH-C, RH-D, RN-A, RN-B, RNX-B, RN-C, RNX-C, RC-2, RC-3, RC-5, IG, PK, CV. There is NO city STR cap, no primary-residence requirement, and no annual night cap. In an eligible district an operator "must secure an Occupancy Permit and a business license from the City and must pay accommodations tax on the property." The Occupancy Permit costs $40.00 ("The cost of the permit is $40.00, make checks payable to the City of Greenville"). The business license is annual (purchased by April 30, valid May 1–April 30) with a gross-receipts/class-schedule-based fee. The City levies a 3% local accommodations tax, due the 20th of each month on 1–89 day rentals. Two use-specific limits apply: "In multi-unit dwellings with 4 or more units, no more than 25% can be used for STR" and "At least one parking space for a single unit is required." Homes in residential districts may still be leased for a minimum of 30 days under the "Household Living" use category; operators who "host rentals for at least 30 days, but less than 90 days must pay accommodations taxes on the property." State layer: SC Code §12-36-920(A) imposes "a sales tax equal to seven percent" on transient accommodations (SCDOR presents this administratively as 5% Sales Tax + 2% Accommodations Tax), and SCDOR form ST-575 (Rev. 2/5/26) lists Greenville as "No Local Tax Imposed" with a Total Tax Rate Accommodations of 7% — so the combined rate is approximately 10% (7% state + 3% city local accommodations tax, which ST-575 excludes because "Local taxes directly collected by the counties or municipalities are not included"). Enforcement is complaint-driven: "Report illegal rentals to Planning and Zoning at 864-467-4476"; nuisance complaints go to the police non-emergency line 864-271-5333; anonymous reporting is permitted. No published city fine schedule for STR violations was located on official sources. Properties in a Planned Development (PD) must contact the Planning Office. Effective/verification dates: Development Code effective 2023-07-15; SCDOR ST-575 Rev. 2026-02-05; record re-verified 2026-07-16.

Not legal advice. Last verified 2026-07-15 · sources linked below.

Requirements checklist

  • city Property must be in a zoning district where "General Lodging" is allowed (STR <30 days) Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: All short-term rentals of less than 30 days within Greenville city limits · official page ↗
  • city City of Greenville Occupancy Permit (General Lodging use) Required
    Fee: $40 / one_time · Renewal: — · Applies to: Owners/operators establishing a General Lodging use (includes short-term rentals) in an eligible district · official page ↗
  • city City of Greenville Business License Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Annual — must be purchased each year by April 30; license period runs May 1 to April 30 · Applies to: All businesses conducting business within the City of Greenville, including STR/General Lodging operators · official page ↗
  • city City local accommodations tax account (Business License & Revenue Center) Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Monthly filing — due/postmarked the 20th of each month · Applies to: Rentals of 1–89 days within city limits · official page ↗
  • state South Carolina Retail License (SCDOR) for remitting the 7% state tax on accommodations Conditional
    Fee: — · Renewal: Tax remitted monthly (returns due by the 20th of the month following the end of the filing period); persons furnishing accommodations to transients for one week or less in any calendar quarter remit annually by April 15 of the following year · Applies to: The person in the business of furnishing accommodations to transients (owner, agent, listing service, broker, or online travel company). NOT required for persons furnishing accommodations to transients for one week or less in any calendar quarter (who must still remit annually), nor where a property manager or online travel company books exclusively and remits on the host's behalf. · official page ↗

Taxes

TaxRateAdministered byAirbnb remitsVrbo remits
City of Greenville Local Accommodations Tax 3% — — —
South Carolina state tax on transient accommodations 7% — — —
DOR-administered local sales/use tax (Greenville) 0% — — —
Combined effective accommodations tax rate (City of Greenville) 10% — — —
Greenville County local accommodations tax inside city limits 0% — — —

Lodging-tax estimator

Estimate the combined transient/lodging tax (~20.0%) on a stay in Greenville. Estimate only — not tax advice.

Operating rules

Primary residence
No
Min stay (nights)
—
Max nights / year
—
Max occupancy
—
Zoning-restricted
—
Cap on licenses
—

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Frequently asked questions

Is Airbnb legal in Greenville?
Short-term rentals (stays of less than 30 days) in the City of Greenville are regulated as a "General Lodging" use under the Greenville Development Code, which the City states "went into effect on July 15, 2023 and is updated periodically." STRs are PROHIBITED in every residential zoning district and are allowed ONLY in mixed-use/non-residential districts where General Lodging is permitted: "General Lodging is allowed in all MX- and MXS- districts, as well as BG, BH, IX, and CM." The city's published table "Zoning Districts that allow for STRs" lists MX-2, MX-3, MX-5, MX-D, MXS-2, MXS-3, MXS-5, MXS-D, BG, BH, IX, CM; the table "Zoning Districts that do NOT allow for STRs" lists RH-A, RH-B, RH-C, RH-D, RN-A, RN-B, RNX-B, RN-C, RNX-C, RC-2, RC-3, RC-5, IG, PK, CV. There is NO city STR cap, no primary-residence requirement, and no annual night cap. In an eligible district an operator "must secure an Occupancy Permit and a business license from the City and must pay accommodations tax on the property." The Occupancy Permit costs $40.00 ("The cost of the permit is $40.00, make checks payable to the City of Greenville"). The business license is annual (purchased by April 30, valid May 1–April 30) with a gross-receipts/class-schedule-based fee. The City levies a 3% local accommodations tax, due the 20th of each month on 1–89 day rentals. Two use-specific limits apply: "In multi-unit dwellings with 4 or more units, no more than 25% can be used for STR" and "At least one parking space for a single unit is required." Homes in residential districts may still be leased for a minimum of 30 days under the "Household Living" use category; operators who "host rentals for at least 30 days, but less than 90 days must pay accommodations taxes on the property." State layer: SC Code §12-36-920(A) imposes "a sales tax equal to seven percent" on transient accommodations (SCDOR presents this administratively as 5% Sales Tax + 2% Accommodations Tax), and SCDOR form ST-575 (Rev. 2/5/26) lists Greenville as "No Local Tax Imposed" with a Total Tax Rate Accommodations of 7% — so the combined rate is approximately 10% (7% state + 3% city local accommodations tax, which ST-575 excludes because "Local taxes directly collected by the counties or municipalities are not included"). Enforcement is complaint-driven: "Report illegal rentals to Planning and Zoning at 864-467-4476"; nuisance complaints go to the police non-emergency line 864-271-5333; anonymous reporting is permitted. No published city fine schedule for STR violations was located on official sources. Properties in a Planned Development (PD) must contact the Planning Office. Effective/verification dates: Development Code effective 2023-07-15; SCDOR ST-575 Rev. 2026-02-05; record re-verified 2026-07-16.
Do I need a license or registration for a short-term rental in Greenville?
Yes — Greenville requires: Property must be in a zoning district where "General Lodging" is allowed (STR <30 days); City of Greenville Occupancy Permit (General Lodging use); City of Greenville Business License. See the requirements checklist for fees, renewal, and official links.
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Greenville?
City of Greenville Local Accommodations Tax (3%), South Carolina state tax on transient accommodations (7%), DOR-administered local sales/use tax (Greenville) (0%), Combined effective accommodations tax rate (City of Greenville) (10%), Greenville County local accommodations tax inside city limits (0%) — roughly 20.0% combined. Use the lodging-tax estimator on this page for a specific stay.

Official sources

Related coverage

In South Carolina · Greenville County

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Informational summary of publicly available sources; not legal advice. Verify against the linked official sources.