🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Beaufort, SC
Beaufort Caps Short‑Term Rentals: City Council sets 3% limit in historic district, 4% elsewhere, with strict enforcement rules.
Residents’ Complaints Over “Party Houses” Drive Beaufort’s New Short‑Term Rental Restrictions
Photo by explorebeaufortsc.com
After nearly nine months of debate, Beaufort City Council voted unanimously on April 28 to adopt a sweeping ordinance capping short‑term rentals (STRs).
The new law limits STRs to 3% of parcels in the National Historic Landmark District and 4% in other neighborhoods, with spacing rules requiring at least 300 feet between properties. Only one rental is allowed per parcel, and neighborhoods already at capacity will not see new permits approved.
Mayor Phil Cromer described the ordinance as a compromise between property rights and neighborhood livability: “We think this was the most palatable thing we could do that everyone on council was in favor of.”
Enforcement includes a three‑strike policy for nuisance violations, $1,000 fines for illegal rentals, and potential new license fees to offset monitoring costs.
🔑 Key provisions include:
Government Websites by CivicPlus®READ: Short Term Rental Ordinance
🎤 Community Feedback
Residents in Beaufort’s historic district, particularly The Point neighborhood, pushed hard for stricter limits, citing noise, trash, and traffic from “party houses.” One resident, Yancey O’Kelley, recalled a late‑night incident where strangers spilled into her yard, underscoring the frustration of living next to high‑turnover rentals.
Beaufort County Council chair Alice Howard shared her own neighborhood’s experience with an unlicensed STR masquerading as a family home. “When we bought our house, I never thought I’d be living next door to a mini hotel,” she said. The ordinance now requires neighbor notification when applications are approved, a direct response to transparency concerns raised during public meetings.
📶 Enforcement & Compliance
With more than 255 STRs already operating, including 91 in the historic district, the city faces a long road to compliance. Under the new 3% cap, only about 30 units will be allowed in the historic district, meaning it could take years for numbers to come down.
To prevent clustering, the ordinance mandates spacing requirements and limits licenses to one per lot. Illegal rentals will be tracked using software that monitors online listings, with fines of $1,000 per violation. Cromer also floated the idea of a $1,000 license fee to discourage speculative investors and encourage long‑term rentals instead.
Mike McCombs
🏠Housing & Broader Context
Cromer tied the ordinance to Beaufort’s affordable housing challenges, noting that long‑term rentals provide stability without the disruption of constant turnover. “Having people who live here and contribute to the community is what we want,” he said.
Beaufort’s move reflects a national trend: cities from Tybee Island, GA, to Barcelona have restricted STRs, often facing lawsuits from property owners. Beaufort itself saw a 42% jump in STRs since 2022, a surge fueled by pandemic‑era demand and platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo.
Social Listening📱: Twitter
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➡️ Looking Ahead
The ordinance also includes allowances for investors who purchased dilapidated properties between Sept. 2025 and May 2026, permitting them to convert those homes into STRs. This carve‑out aims to encourage revitalization while still keeping overall numbers in check.
The city of Beaufort has passed a short-term rental ordinance that limits the number allowed by 3% in the historic district and 4% elsewhere in the city — a move https://t.co/Hntk9gopow
— Post and Courier Beaufort County (@PCBeaufort) May 5, 2026
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