Westminster, South Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
Westminster, SC (Upstate SC, Chattooga River) STR data: $311/night at 55.5% occupancy in June 2026.
Quick Answer: Westminster, South Carolina is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Lake Hartwell market area is 56%. average monthly revenue in the Lake Hartwell market area is $4,048. average daily rate in the Lake Hartwell market area is $311. the top operator in the Lake Hartwell market area is Evolve with 146 listings. market score is 47/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Lake Hartwell regional market, which includes Westminster. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Westminster.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Westminster is a small Upcountry city of 2,353 residents in Oconee County, South Carolina’s Blue Ridge foothills. It sits within Oconee County’s outdoor-recreation economy, drawing whitewater rafters, kayakers, tubers, anglers and hikers to the National Wild & Scenic Chattooga River, the Chauga River, Chau Ram County Park, and Sumter National Forest, alongside the county’s roughly 150 marketed waterfalls. Signature local events include the multi-day South Carolina Apple Festival each September, the October Bigfoot Festival, and Music on Main concerts, layered on top of a historic downtown with more than 100 late-1800s homes.
Unlike unincorporated Salem and Townville, Westminster is an incorporated city, so STR operators face a two-layer compliance requirement: a City of Westminster annual business license (tiered on gross receipts, roughly $35 minimum, expiring April 30 with 5% monthly late penalties) on top of Oconee County’s STR registration through the Host Compliance portal.
StaySTRA’s Airbnb/Vrbo performance data for this area is tracked at a shared regional level with Anderson, Clemson, Salem, and Townville rather than uniquely for Westminster; treat the following as the Upstate South Carolina area STR market. In June 2026, that market averaged 55.5% occupancy and a $311 ADR, producing $4,048 in average monthly revenue per listing, though revenue is down 11.7% year over year, part of a multi-year softening trend.
StaySTRA does not have listing-type, bedroom-mix, or top-property-manager data broken out at the city level for this area; that data is tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Westminster, so this profile omits it.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 29% |
| Feb | 43% |
| Mar | 47% |
| Apr | 48% |
| May | 50% |
| Jun | 60% |
| Jul | 66% |
| Aug | 54% |
| Sep | 45% |
| Oct | 44% |
| Nov | 44% |
| Dec | 35% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Westminster are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Lake Hartwell market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Lake Hartwell market as a whole, which includes Westminster, so these counts are not Westminster-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 146 | 6,530 | ★ 4.75 |
| 2 | Linton Realty | 86 | 5,662 | ★ 4.96 |
| 3 | Cope Property Management | 47 | 913 | ★ 4.76 |
| 4 | Clemson Vacation Rentals | 36 | 667 | ★ 4.88 |
| 5 | Oconee Hospitality | 31 | 1,572 | ★ 4.91 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Westminster?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Westminster 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 | 42.3% |
| vrbo | 11.4% |
| both | 46.3% |
Home Value Trends (Westminster)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Westminster 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 Westminster — 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
Westminster, SC has no dedicated short-term-rental ordinance capping nights, requiring owner-occupancy, or imposing STR-specific zoning; STRs are legal and treated like other lodging businesses. Compliance is layered across three levels.
State: operators booking directly need an SC Retail License ($50) and must remit the 2% state accommodations tax plus 5% state sales tax (7% combined). Airbnb and Vrbo collect and remit these on host bookings.
County: Oconee County requires STRs (any stay under 90 consecutive days) to register through its online portal (Host Compliance) and remit a Local Accommodations Tax of 1.5% for properties inside a municipality like Westminster (3% in unincorporated areas), due by the 20th monthly.
City: Westminster requires an annual business license for any business operating in city limits (tiered on gross receipts, roughly $35 minimum, expiring April 30 with 5% monthly late penalties) and collects local accommodations and food/beverage taxes restricted to tourism and recreation uses. Combined lodging tax is roughly 8.5% or more (7% state plus 1.5% county), before any additional city local accommodations tax.
There are no found rules on maximum rental nights, primary-residence requirements, or occupancy caps beyond standard building and property-maintenance code. Enforcement is light-touch and tax-collection-driven, typical of a small Upcountry town, though hosts should confirm current zoning and licensing directly with the city.
Market Comparison
National benchmarks put the median U.S. short-term rental market at roughly 55% occupancy and a $220 ADR. The Upstate South Carolina area STR market that includes Westminster runs close to the occupancy benchmark and well above the ADR benchmark, at 55.5% occupancy and a $311 ADR in June 2026, consistent with a premium lake-and-river-recreation market.
Westminster’s dual city-plus-county compliance layer (business license and county STR registration) is more formal than unincorporated neighbors like Salem and Townville, though the added cost is modest, roughly a $35 annual city license fee on top of the same county and state tax obligations.
Top property managers in the shared regional market include Evolve (146 listings), Linton Realty (86 listings), and Cope Property Management (47 listings), though StaySTRA does not have this data broken out uniquely for Westminster; treat these as regional context rather than Westminster-specific figures.
Frequently Asked Questions About Westminster, South Carolina
Are short-term rentals legal in Westminster, SC?
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Westminster?
How much does a Westminster business license cost for a short-term rental?
What is the average occupancy for the Westminster area STR market?
When is peak season for short-term rentals near Westminster?
What draws visitors to Westminster?
Does Westminster require county registration in addition to a city license?
Analyze Westminster Rentals
Use our free calculator to estimate Airbnb revenue for any property in Westminster.
Free Westminster STR Calculator →
