Mount Pleasant, South Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
Mount Pleasant, SC short-term rentals averaged $549/night at 78.7% occupancy in June 2026, capped at 400 town permits.
Quick Answer: Mount Pleasant, South Carolina is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 79%. average monthly revenue is $11,567. average daily rate is $549. the top operator is Vacasa with 440 listings. market score is 75/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the Charleston regional market, which includes Mount Pleasant. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Mount Pleasant.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Mount Pleasant’s short-term rental market posted a $549 average daily rate and 78.7% occupancy in June 2026, generating $11,567 in average monthly revenue per listing, the highest occupancy and revenue figures in this comparison batch. By property type, houses averaged $13,008/month, entire-place listings $11,937/month, and apartments $8,829/month. Year over year, occupancy was roughly flat (up 0.56 percentage points), ADR fell 3.1%, and average revenue rose 3.9%, suggesting higher booking volume more than offset the softer nightly rate.
The market carries roughly 11,850 active listings, the largest supply base in this batch. The bedroom mix is broad-based: 2,652 one-bedroom, 2,761 two-bedroom, 3,253 three-bedroom (the largest bucket, 27% of supply), 1,898 four-bedroom, and 1,283 five-bedroom. Entire-place listings dominate at 11,253 (about 95%), with 596 private rooms and 1 shared room. Channel data shows 7,510 listings distributed on both Airbnb and Vrbo, the largest dual-channel count in this batch, with 3,153 Airbnb-only and 1,187 Vrbo-only.
Mount Pleasant sits within the Charleston, SC metro tourism market, which drew an estimated 7.89 million visitors in 2024 generating a record $14 billion economic impact regionally. Its rental demand score of 91.16 (out of 100) and investability score of 85.35 both rank among the strongest in this batch, reflecting Mount Pleasant’s position as a heritage- and waterfront-tourism draw (Boone Hall, Patriots Point, Shem Creek) within one of the Southeast’s most established vacation markets.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39% | $239 | $2,725 |
| Feb | 57% | $261 | $3,435 |
| Mar | 68% | $321 | $5,488 |
| Apr | 66% | $365 | $6,278 |
| May | 66% | $394 | $6,939 |
| Jun | 75% | $438 | $8,489 |
| Jul | 73% | $403 | $7,747 |
| Aug | 62% | $382 | $6,444 |
| Sep | 56% | $329 | $4,927 |
| Oct | 59% | $315 | $5,064 |
| Nov | 49% | $291 | $3,798 |
| Dec | 44% | $281 | $3,431 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Mount Pleasant
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 440 | 27,869 | ★ 4.57 |
| 2 | Stay Duvet | 368 | 42,749 | ★ 4.84 |
| 3 | Casago | 291 | 9,129 | ★ 4.56 |
| 4 | Sweetgrass Vacation Rentals | 274 | 9,186 | ★ 4.74 |
| 5 | Akers Ellis Real Estate & Rentals | 268 | 8,693 | ★ 4.73 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Mount Pleasant?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 2,652 |
| 2 bed | 2,761 |
| 3 bed | 3,253 |
| 4 bed | 1,898 |
| 5 bed | 1,283 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $565 |
| Luxury | $917 |
| Professionally Managed | $703 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $8,829 |
| Entire Place | $11,937 |
| House | $13,008 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 26.6% |
| vrbo | 10% |
| both | 63.4% |
Investment Analysis
Mount Pleasant’s typical home value is $881,041, the highest in this batch by a wide margin, with a median sale price of $825,667 (90.6% of list price) across 738 homes for sale. Using the average listing’s $11,567 monthly revenue, annualized to $138,799, that computes to a gross yield of roughly 15.8% against the typical home value, a healthier and more directly usable figure than some smaller markets in this batch where STR revenue and citywide home values diverge more sharply.
Rate tiers show significant upside: the all-listings ADR of $549 rises to $565 for entire-home-only rentals, $703 for professionally managed listings (28% above the all-listings average), and $917 for the luxury tier (67% above). Entry to that upside is constrained by regulation as much as by the area’s high home values: the Town caps total STR permits at 400, and as of the 2026 cycle stopped accepting new-permit applications beyond those already submitted; current 2025 permit holders could rent through the end of 2025, and remaining slots now go to a waiting list. In practice, new investors likely cannot obtain a fresh Mount Pleasant STR permit today and would need to acquire a property with an existing, transferable permit.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Mount Pleasant guests book an average of 83.4 days ahead of arrival, one of the longer lead times in this batch, giving owners nearly a 12-week window to adjust pricing ahead of arrival. Average length of stay is 4.7 nights, consistent with a full-week Lowcountry vacation built around Charleston-area history and beach access.
That combination points to relatively predictable demand: a long booking window lets owners capture early-committing guests at premium rates before discounting any unsold late-arriving inventory, while the near-week-long average stay keeps turnover-driven costs (cleaning, guest communication) lower per dollar of revenue than markets with frequent short weekend stays.
For operators managing one of the market’s 400 capped permits, the long lead time also supports minimum-stay requirements without materially hurting occupancy, since most guests are already planning weeks or months out rather than searching for a last-minute opening. That predictability, combined with the area’s roughly $549 average nightly rate, gives owners more room to hold firm on pricing during the June-through-August peak than markets where bookings arrive with only a few weeks of notice.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Mount Pleasant runs one of the more tightly controlled STR programs in this comparison batch. Every operator must hold both a Town short-term rental permit and a Town business license, plus a certificate of occupancy for the dwelling (and any accessory dwelling unit). The program is capped at 400 permits town-wide and uses a two-tier structure: a part-time permit (15 to 72 rental days per year, roughly $250 application fee) and a full-time permit (more than 72 rental days per year, $500 application fee). Permits are annual.
Owner-occupancy is not required for a full-time entire-home rental, but allowed configurations are specific: an entire principal residence, an entire legal accessory dwelling unit, or up to six bedrooms rented bed-and-breakfast style while the owner lives on site. Operators must register with the SC Department of Revenue and Charleston County, and combined local and state lodging taxes run roughly 12%, with the Town adding its own STR-specific tax on top (about 4% part-time, 6% full-time).
Enforcement is rated strict and data-driven; the Town partners with a compliance-monitoring vendor and reports roughly 95% compliance. As of the 2026 cycle the Town stopped accepting new-permit applications beyond those already submitted, effectively freezing the 400-permit pool; current 2025 permit holders could rent through the end of 2025 under previously approved renewals, and remaining capacity now goes to a waiting list. No maximum-nights-per-year cap applies beyond the part-time/full-time day thresholds themselves.
Market Comparison
At 78.7% occupancy and a $549 ADR, Mount Pleasant runs well above both the roughly 55% occupancy and the roughly $220 ADR typical of the broader US short-term rental market, reflecting its position within one of the Southeast’s most established vacation markets, the Charleston, SC metro, which drew an estimated 7.89 million visitors and $14 billion in economic impact in 2024. Its rental demand score of 91.16 out of 100 is among the highest in this batch.
Property management is led by two large national and regional brands: Vacasa (440 listings, 27,869 reviews, 4.57 rating) and Stay Duvet (368 listings, 42,749 reviews, the most reviews of any operator in this batch, 4.84 rating), followed by Casago (291 listings), Sweetgrass Vacation Rentals (274 listings), and Akers Ellis Real Estate & Rentals (268 listings). The top 5 combined control 1,641 of the market’s roughly 11,850 listings, about 13.8%, one of the higher management-company concentrations in this batch, consistent with a market where the 400-permit cap favors established operators who already hold permits.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
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