Johns Island, South Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
Johns Island investment rentals face a 144-night cap, with $415 ADR, 60.8% occupancy and $6,780 monthly revenue in September 2026.
Quick Answer: Johns Island, South Carolina is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Charleston market area is 61%. average monthly revenue in the Charleston market area is $6,780. average daily rate in the Charleston market area is $415. the top operator in the Charleston market area is Vacasa with 440 listings. market score is 75/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the Charleston regional market, which includes Johns Island. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Johns Island.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
This profile uses September 2026 data for the Charleston area STR market, a regional series that Johns Island is part of. Every performance figure below describes that Charleston area market rather than Johns Island alone. In September 2026 the average daily rate across all listings was $415, occupancy was 60.8%, and average monthly revenue per listing was $6,780. Compared with September 2025, occupancy rose 6.7%, ADR rose 4.8%, and revenue rose 7.9%. Entire homes averaged $429 per night, and annual revenue built from the monthly seasonal pattern comes to $65,548. Bedroom, channel and listing-type counts are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Johns Island, so this profile omits them. Johns Island itself is a largely rural sea island of about 22,013 residents, just southwest of Charleston. Its best known draw is the Angel Oak Tree, which receives roughly 400,000 visitors a year, along with the Charleston Tea Garden, Johns Island County Park and farm-to-table restaurants. Guests often use the island as a quieter, lower-cost base for downtown Charleston, about 20 to 30 minutes away, and for nearby beaches including Kiawah and Seabrook. An annual visitor count for the island as a whole is not published. Investors should weigh the strong regional numbers against local rules. Most of the island is unincorporated Charleston County, where investment properties are limited to 144 rental nights per year and need a Special Exception. That ceiling matters when reading the occupancy figure, because 60.8% occupancy equals roughly 222 nights a year, more than the cap allows.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 39% |
| Feb | 57% |
| Mar | 68% |
| Apr | 66% |
| May | 66% |
| Jun | 75% |
| Jul | 74% |
| Aug | 63% |
| Sep | 56% |
| Oct | 59% |
| Nov | 49% |
| Dec | 44% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Johns Island 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 Johns Island, so these counts are not Johns Island-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 Johns Island?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Johns Island 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% |
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Johns Island — 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
Short-term rentals are permitted on Johns Island, but they are regulated and a permit is required. The island straddles two jurisdictions. Most of it is unincorporated Charleston County, where STRs fall under Article 6.8 of the Zoning and Land Development Regulations. Operators need a Charleston County STR Zoning Permit plus a Business License, renewed annually on or before December 31. The permit fee is not published in the available data. The county has three categories. Limited Home Rental covers an owner’s primary residence and is capped at 72 days per year. Extended Home Rental covers an investment property, is capped at 144 nights per year, and requires a Special Exception from the Board of Zoning Appeals plus Site Plan Review. Commercial Guest House applies in commercially zoned districts. Parcels inside City of Charleston limits fall under the city’s off-peninsula Category 3 rules, which allow one unit per property and require dedicated off-street parking. The occupancy tax is 4%, made up of a 2% state accommodations tax and a 2% county tax, and other sales taxes may add to the total burden. Enforcement is rated moderate. Historically it has been loose, with the county finding nearly 200 unpermitted rentals, but it is tightening. In February and March 2026 the County Council advanced amendments using software to scan Airbnb and Vrbo listings, sent mass notices to unpermitted owners, and proposed letting the zoning director deny applications for up to two years after a violation, along with new neighbor notification rules.
Market Comparison
The Charleston area STR market performed strongly in September 2026, with 60.8% occupancy and a $415 ADR. The 2026 year to date numbers are stronger still, at 66.2% occupancy and a $434 ADR. Growth is also positive, with occupancy up 6.7%, ADR up 4.8% and revenue up 7.9% from a year earlier. The seasonal range is wide, though. January’s 39.1% occupancy and $239 ADR compare with 74.5% occupancy and a $438 ADR in June, so winter performance is far softer than summer. Johns Island offers a different position than the beach and downtown areas in the same regional series, since it is rural, quieter and lower cost for guests, while its draws include the Angel Oak Tree, the Charleston Tea Garden and Johns Island County Park. The main difference from many markets is regulation. The 144-night cap for investment properties limits how much of this regional performance an owner can capture. Top operator data is tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Johns Island, so this profile omits it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Johns Island, South Carolina
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