Short-Term Rental Rules in Myrtle Beach:
What Luxury Investors Need to Know
Myrtle Beach Luxury Home is a boutique real estate experience serving buyers and sellers across Myrtle Beach and the surrounding areas.
The head agent, Rick Sarver, has years of real estate and business-owner experience and has lived in the Myrtle Beach area for over 15 years.
Every client works directly with Rick from first showing through closing.
Short-term rental income is one of the most common investment theses buyers bring to the Grand Strand luxury market — and one of the most frequently misunderstood before closing. The regulatory framework governing short-term rentals on the Grand Strand operates on three separate and independent levels: state, municipal, and HOA or deed restriction. A property can pass two of those three levels and still be completely prohibited from short-term use. Here is what luxury investors need to verify before they make an offer.
Why Choose Rick?
COMMUNITY ROOTS
Rick and DeAnn Sarver have called Myrtle Beach home since 2010. They built a business here, planted a church here, and raised a family here. When Rick represents you, you're working with someone who knows this market the way only a long-term resident can — the neighborhoods, the HOAs, the flood zones, and the people.
LOCAL EXPERTISE
From oceanfront estates on the Golden Mile to gated communities in Grande Dunes and Cypress River Plantation, Rick knows the Grand Strand's luxury segment inside and out. He's tracked this market through growth cycles, inventory shifts, and post-storm re-sales. That depth means smarter pricing, sharper negotiation, and no guesswork when it's time to move.
PEOPLE FIRST
Rick returns calls. He listens before he talks. And he'll tell you the truth about a property — even when it's not what you want to hear. No assistants, no coordinators, no handoffs. Every client gets Rick directly, from first showing to closing day.
Connect with Rick
Municipal STR Rules Vary Significantly Across the Grand Strand
The City of Myrtle Beach is one of the most restrictive short-term rental markets in South Carolina. Short-term rentals — defined as any rental of less than 90 days — are explicitly prohibited in all traditional residential zones, with the exception of the RMV (Residential Multifamily Visitor) zone. Fewer than 30 properties in traditional residential zones hold grandfathered STR status from prior to existing zoning. Most single-family luxury homes in Myrtle Beach's established residential neighborhoods are not in STR-permitted zones, regardless of what any online listing claims. Buyers intending to use a Myrtle Beach property for short-term rental income must confirm the exact zoning designation of the specific address with the City of Myrtle Beach Planning and Zoning Division at 843-918-1179 before making an offer — not after. A business license is required for any permitted STR operation, with a combined state and local tax rate of 10 percent of gross rental income.
North Myrtle Beach operates its own permit requirements independently of the City of Myrtle Beach. Annual STR permits, a designated local responsible agent, compliance with noise and parking regulations, and city-specific business licensing are all required. Surfside Beach enforces its own STR regulations independently of Horry County. Georgetown County — governing Pawleys Island, Litchfield Beach, and Murrells Inlet south of the county line — applies its own regulatory framework, which differs again from Horry County. The Grand Strand is not a single regulatory market; it is a patchwork of overlapping jurisdictions where the rules change meaningfully from one address to the next.
Community-Level Restrictions Override Everything Else
Even where municipal zoning permits short-term rentals and a business license can be obtained, HOA deed restrictions can prohibit STR use entirely. DeBordieu Colony, Wachesaw Plantation, Prestwick, and most sections of Tidewater Plantation operate primarily as owner-occupied communities where short-term rental prohibitions are embedded in the CC&Rs at the deed level. These restrictions are not board policies subject to change — they are deed covenants enforceable by neighboring owners and binding on every subsequent purchaser. Buyers who purchase in these communities with rental income intent will find themselves legally unable to rent after closing, with no recourse.
Within communities that do permit short-term rentals — some sections of Grande Dunes, Surfside Beach oceanfront corridors, Cherry Grove in North Myrtle Beach, and select Barefoot Resort buildings — the specific rules regarding minimum stay requirements, mandatory management company use, maximum rental frequency, and parking allocation vary by sub-community and must be confirmed in writing from the HOA before going under contract.
What the Numbers Look Like When the Rules Allow It
On properties where municipal zoning and community rules both permit short-term rentals, the Grand Strand delivers among the strongest STR yields on the East Coast. The market attracts over 20 million visitors annually. Well-managed oceanfront condos generate 55 to 70 percent annual occupancy with gross rental income of $25,000 to $50,000 or more for a two-bedroom unit, though operating expenses — management fees typically running 25 percent of gross, HOA dues, insurance, taxes, and maintenance — typically consume 50 to 55 percent of gross revenue. Contact Rick Sarver at Myrtle Beach Luxury Home to identify specific properties and communities where the STR investment thesis is legally viable and financially supportable before you commit to a purchase.