Charleston, South Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
Charleston STRs averaged $454/night at 70.0% occupancy in April 2026 with $8,422 average monthly revenue.
Quick Answer: Charleston, South Carolina is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Charleston market area is 79%. average monthly revenue in the Charleston market area is $11,567. average daily rate in the Charleston market area is $549. the top operator in the Charleston market area is Vacasa with 440 listings. market score is 75/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the wider Charleston market, which covers 11 areas. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Charleston.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Charleston, SC is one of the highest-ADR short-term rental markets in the Southeast, drawing 7.89 million annual visitors to its historic peninsula, beaches, and culinary scene. As of April 2026, the average daily rate across all Charleston STR listings was $454.23, with average occupancy at 70.0% and RevPAR at $318.12. Revenue per listing averaged $8,422 in April, among the highest monthly averages of any midsized U.S. destination market.
The market carries approximately 11,850 tracked listings. Entire-place listings dominate at 11,253 (94.9% of total), with private rooms at 596 and shared rooms at 1. Channel distribution shows strong dual-platform presence: 7,510 listings appear on both Airbnb and VRBO, 3,153 are Airbnb-only, and 1,187 are VRBO-only.
Bedroom mix is relatively balanced, with 3-bedroom units the largest segment at 3,253 listings, followed by 2-bedroom (2,761), 1-bedroom (2,652), 4-bedroom (1,898), and 5-plus bedroom (1,283).
Year-over-year performance in April 2026 was modestly negative: occupancy down 3.94 percentage points, ADR down 0.67%, and revenue down 0.49%. These declines are shallow and follow two strong years; the 2025 annual average revenue of $7,039 per month was itself above the 2024 level of $6,685. The StaySTRA overall market score is 75.28 out of 100, with rental demand scoring 91.16 and investability at 85.35, offset by a seasonality score of 50.42 reflecting significant seasonal swing.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 39% |
| Feb | 57% |
| Mar | 68% |
| Apr | 66% |
| May | 66% |
| Jun | 75% |
| Jul | 73% |
| Aug | 62% |
| Sep | 56% |
| Oct | 59% |
| Nov | 49% |
| Dec | 44% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Charleston are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Charleston market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Charleston market as a whole, which includes Charleston, so these counts are not Charleston-only figures.
| # | 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 Charleston?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Charleston are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 26.6% |
| vrbo | 10% |
| both | 63.4% |
Home Value Trends (Charleston)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Charleston are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Charleston — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Charleston has among the most restrictive and most actively enforced STR ordinances of any major U.S. tourism market. The city ordinance took effect July 10, 2018, and enforcement has intensified since August 2024.
Residential STR Permits (Categories 1, 2, and 3, covering different parts of the peninsula and off-peninsula areas) require the property to be the owner’s primary residence. The owner must reside at the property for at least 183 days per year. Whole-house rentals where the owner is absent are not permitted in residential zones. Maximum occupancy is four adults regardless of property size. The initial permit fee is $350; annual renewal is $200.
Commercial STR Permits are available only within the designated STR Overlay Zone on the peninsula. These do not require owner-occupancy but are limited to a small geographic area and properties are typically valued at $1 million or more.
All permitted operators must display the permit number in all listings, maintain $1 million in liability insurance, pass a fire safety inspection, and maintain a 24/7 local contact available within 30 minutes. No events or parties are permitted and at least three off-street parking spaces are required for single-family homes with an STR unit.
Total accommodations tax in Charleston County is 14%. Enforcement is rated strict. Charleston is reported to be the only U.S. city criminally prosecuting illegal STR operators, with 60-100 active cases at a time. An enforcement sweep identified approximately 1,300 of an estimated 1,600 online Charleston STR listings as unpermitted.
Market Comparison
At $454.23 ADR and 70.0% occupancy, Charleston is well above national STR medians (approximately $220 ADR, 55% occupancy). RevPAR of $318.12 is roughly double the national median, placing Charleston among the highest-performing midsized destination markets in the U.S.
The StaySTRA total market score of 75.28 reflects Charleston’s mixed profile: rental demand at 91.16 (exceptional) and investability at 85.35, but seasonality at 50.42 (wide swing) and regulation at 67.02 (restrictive enforcement). Revenue growth scored 66.63, reflecting the slight year-over-year softness in April 2026.
Professional management is well-established. The top five operators by listing count are: Vacasa (440 listings, 27,869 reviews, 4.573 average rating), Stay Duvet (368 listings, 42,749 reviews, 4.841 rating), Casago (291 listings, 9,129 reviews, 4.562 rating), Sweetgrass Vacation Rentals (274 listings, 9,186 reviews, 4.744 rating), and Akers Ellis Real Estate and Rentals (268 listings, 8,693 reviews, 4.729 rating).
Stay Duvet leads in review volume at 42,749 despite ranking second by listings, and maintains the highest rating among the top five at 4.841. Together, the top five operators manage approximately 1,641 of 11,850 total listings, or about 13.8% of the market.
Frequently Asked Questions About Charleston, South Carolina
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