Conway, South Carolina

Conway requires STR operators to obtain an annual City of Conway business license, with fees scaled to gross receipts. Home-based STR operators must additionally file a Home-Based License Agreement and meet home-occupation zoning standards. There is no dedicated STR-specific registration program, no published cap on rental nights, no owner-occupancy requirement, and no primary-residence restriction.

The tax compliance burden is the most significant regulatory consideration. Guests booking inside Conway city limits pay a combined accommodations tax of approximately 10-12%, composed of: 7% state (5% SC sales tax plus 2% state accommodations tax), 1.5% Horry County hospitality fee (inside-city rate), and 1.5% from the City of Conway (1% local accommodations fee plus 0.5% short-term/transient surcharge). An additional local-option sales tax of approximately 2% also applies. Conway’s local fees are remitted monthly by the 20th of the following month. Owner-occupied homes with fewer than six sleeping rooms may be exempt from the base 1% local accommodations fee but generally not the 0.5% short-term surcharge.

Enforcement is moderate and runs through business-license compliance. Operating without a license can result in revocation of zoning approval and a municipal court summons, but there is no STR-specific inspection regime or quota system.

At the state level, South Carolina Senate Bill S.442 (introduced March 2025, in committee as of mid-2026) would explicitly authorize municipalities to regulate or ban STRs through registration, density caps, and inspection requirements. This is a local-control bill rather than a preemption bill. Operators should confirm current parcel-level zoning and exact tax rates with Conway Planning and Development before listing. Properties outside city limits fall under Horry County rules, which differ.