The City of Charleston is proposing targeted changes to its short‑term rental ordinance intended to clarify enforcement and set a clear occupancy limit for overnight guests.
City staff told the Community Development Committee that revisions under consideration are not meant to create new restrictions but to explain how existing rules should be applied. The effort follows recent cases before the Board of Zoning Appeals that exposed ambiguities in the current ordinance.
What would change for residents
Under the proposal, Charleston would move away from the current test that limits short‑term rentals to no more than four unrelated adults per unit. City officials say that standard has been hard to enforce because determining whether occupants are related is often impractical.
- New model: Occupancy determined by the fire marshal based on bedroom size.
- Maximum cap: A proposed ceiling of eight people per rental.
- Code referenced: The city would use its adopted International Property Maintenance Code for calculations.
Planning and Preservation Director Robert Summerfield told the committee that the occupancy model is designed to be simpler to administer and enforce. He said the eight‑person cap is grounded in research and comparison with other local jurisdictions.
“It’s really important to note that this is not a number that we just pulled out of the air,” Summerfield said.
Background and city intent
The original short‑term rental ordinance was developed by a task force in 2016 and adopted in 2018. Mayor William Cogswell said tweaks are a normal part of governing after a policy has been in place for several years and stressed the changes are intended to preserve neighborhood quality of life.
“I mean, we don't want units packed full of people,” Cogswell said. “That's not what the original intent is.” He added that clarifications should help ensure compliance with the rules.
Enforcement and next steps
City staff said the proposed approach would rely on standards the fire marshal already uses, which officials argue would make occupancy determinations more objective. No timeline was provided in committee remarks for formal adoption; staff said the amendments have been under development since October.
| Current rule | Proposed approach |
|---|---|
| No more than four unrelated adults | Occupancy set by fire marshal, max cap of eight people |
| Enforcement relies on relationship test | Enforcement based on bedroom size and adopted code |
Supporters of the change say it will reduce ambiguity for landlords, guests and neighbors alike. Critics in past debates have argued any loosening of limits could increase short‑term rental impacts on housing supply and neighborhood character; however, city leaders have framed the current proposal as clarification rather than expansion of allowable activity.
The City of Charleston will continue its review at committee meetings; further public meetings or council votes may follow before any ordinance changes take effect.
