Can I Airbnb in Columbia, SC? (2026)

Columbia requires an annual Short-Term Rental Permit plus a city business license for every unit rented under 30 days, with fees of $100/year (owner-occupied) or $250/year (non-owner-occupied) plus a $50 application fee. After a June 2025 moratorium (repealed March 3, 2026), amended rules allow STRs in all commercial and mixed-use districts, but new non-owner-occupied STRs in residential districts are limited to streets with at least four through lanes classified as arterial or collector; owner-occupied STRs are exempt from the location restriction. Enforcement uses a points system ($100 per point) with permit revocation at 15 points in 12 months, plus a $500-per-day administrative penalty for operating without a permit or leaving violations uncorrected after 15 days' notice, and the September 2025 amendments raised the minimum booking age from 18 to 21.

What’s required: a Short-Term Rental Permit ($250) is required; occupancy taxes apply; renew annual.