Where to Stay in Charleston, SC: Areas Compared

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Where to stay in Charleston depends on what you came for. We compare 10 areas by what they are close to, using the city's and the visitor bureau's own descriptions, plus any short-term rental rule the town publishes. No hotel rankings.

Areas10on this page
Regions1Lowcountry
Free0as the operator states
CheckedOct 262026

The Short Answer

The Charleston Historic District was designated a National Historic Landmark District on October 9, 1960. source
In the City of Charleston, a short-term rental in the Old and Historic District must be individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places and be the owner's primary residence. source
Isle of Palms is 12 miles from downtown Charleston, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, per Explore Charleston. source
North Charleston is described by Explore Charleston as 15 minutes from downtown Charleston, with several hotels listed near the airport and convention center. source
Lodging taxes differ by town: Charleston County charges 2% plus a municipal accommodations fee of 1% or 2% depending on the town. source

Every Areas on Our List

Search this list10 of 10

Name	Where	What	When	Good to know	Source
Folly Beach	Folly Beach Lowcountry	Barrier island minutes from downtown per Explore Charleston, with the Folly Beach Fishing Pier, Folly Beach County Park on the west end (lifeguards seasonally) and surfing at The Washout.	Not listed	Access: Drive from downtown per CVB: from Calhoun St., SC-30 W, then State Hwy 171, then W Arctic Ave. STR rule: the city runs a capped license system with a waitlist (Phase 2 waitlist opened October 1, 2024; only 1 license per owner from the waitlist). Accommodations fee: City of Folly Beach 2% plus county 2%.	source
Historic District / French Quarter (downtown peninsula)	Charleston Lowcountry	Downtown peninsula historic core. NPS lists the Charleston Historic District as a National Historic Landmark District (designated October 9, 1960; National Register October 15, 1966, with boundary increases in 1970, 1978 and 1984).	Not listed	Access: STR rule: City Category we – only properties individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places, owner's primary residence, up to four adults. Accommodations taxes total 14.0% (Charleston County part of the city).	source
Isle of Palms	Isle of Palms Lowcountry	Family beach island 12 miles from downtown Charleston between the ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway; Wild Dunes Resort is on the island.	Not listed	Access: Drive per CVB: Hwy 17 N to SC-517 S/Isle of Palms Connector in Mount Pleasant, continue to 41st Ave. STR rule: every rental owner needs an Isle of Palms short-term rental business license; maximum overnight occupancy is typically two people per bedroom plus two, up to 12 (children under 2 excluded); owner's representative must be able to be on site within one hour. Accommodations fee: City of Isle of Palms 2% plus county 2%.	source
Kiawah Island	Kiawah Island Lowcountry	Resort island with ten miles of coastline; Kiawah Beachwalker Park offers the only public beach access on the island (lifeguards seasonally).	Not listed	Access: CVB travel time from downtown: 48 min., via SC 30 W, SC-700 W, State Rd S-10-20 and Kiawah Island Parkway. Accommodations fee: Town of Kiawah Island 1% plus county 2%. Town STR license rule not confirmed.	source
Mount Pleasant (Old Village and Shem Creek)	Mount Pleasant Lowcountry	Explore Charleston says the Old Village sits on Charleston Harbor and is minutes from the beach and downtown Charleston; Shem Creek and harbor resorts are listed nearby.	Not listed	Access: Accommodations fee: Town of Mount Pleasant 1% plus Charleston County 2%. Town STR rule not confirmed (see unverified).	source
North Charleston (near the airport and Park Circle)	North Charleston Lowcountry	City 15 minutes from downtown Charleston per the CVB, with the North Charleston Fire Engine Museum, Park Circle (less than ten miles north of downtown) and hotels listed near the CHS airport, convention center and Coliseum.	Not listed	Access: Drive per CVB: we-26 W from US-52 Spur, exit 213. Accommodations fee: City of North Charleston 2% plus county 2%.	source
Seabrook Island	Seabrook Island Lowcountry	Island built around the Seabrook Island Club with two golf courses, a racquet club and an equestrian center that offers trail and beach rides.	Not listed	Access: Accommodations fee: Town of Seabrook Island 1% plus county 2%.	source
Sullivan's Island	Sullivan's Island Lowcountry	Two-and-a-half-mile barrier island with Fort Moultrie's fortifications and the Sullivan's Island Lighthouse.	Not listed	Access: Drive per CVB: US-17 North/Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge to Mt. Pleasant, then SC-703/Coleman Boulevard to Sullivan's Island. Accommodations fee: Town of Sullivan's Island 1% plus county 2%; Sullivan's Island properties file on the county's paper application. Town STR rule not confirmed.	source
Summerville	Summerville Lowcountry	Lowcountry town that calls itself the Birthplace of Sweet Tea; the Summerville Visitor Center is at 402 N. Main St.; Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site and Givhans Ferry State Park (with cabins) are nearby state parks.	Visitor Center: Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday 10am-3pm, Sunday 1pm-4pm	Access: Town STR rule and accommodations tax not confirmed on an official page (see unverified).	source
West Ashley, James Island, Johns Island, Daniel Island (City of Charleston outside the peninsula)	Charleston Lowcountry	Incorporated parts of the City of Charleston off the peninsula, where the city allows owner-occupied short-term rentals under Category III.	Not listed	Access: STR rule: Category III, owner's primary residence (4% tax rate), one extra off-street parking space for the STR unit, up to four adults. Taxes: 14.0% in Charleston County, 12.0% for city property in Berkeley County.	source

Hours, dates and prices are copied from each operator’s own page on the date shown; check before you go.

City of Charleston Short-Term Rental Rules

The STR ordinance took effect July 10th, 2018; an STR is any rental of a dwelling unit/bedroom for less than 30 consecutive days. source
Category II (peninsula outside the STR Overlay): the principal building must be at least 50 years old. source
Commercially zoned properties in the Cannonborough-Elliotborough STR Overlay are eligible for a Commercial Short-Term Rental Permit. source
Three findings of guilt by the City of Charleston's Livability Court will result in revocation of the STR permit. source
Business license and STR permit must be renewed every year; the license number must be posted in the unit and in all ads. source

Lodging Taxes by Town

Charleston County Ordinance #910 (November 16, 1993) set a 2% accommodations fee on stays of less than thirty days, countywide including municipalities. source
Municipal accommodations fee rates collected by the county: City of Charleston 2%, North Charleston 2%, Folly Beach 2%, Isle of Palms 2%, Kiawah Island 1%, Mount Pleasant 1%, Seabrook Island 1%, Sullivan's Island 1%. source
City of Charleston (Charleston County part): State Sales Tax 5.0%, State Accommodations Tax 2.0%, Local Option 1.0%, County Transportation 1.0%, School District/Education 1.0%, Charleston County Accommodations 2.0%, City Accommodations 2.0% – total 14.0%. source

Beach Town Rental Rules

Isle of Palms short-term rental license fee is based on the prior year's gross rental income: $450 for the first $2,000 and $4.60 for each additional thousand; pay by April 30th to avoid late fees. source
Isle of Palms: at no time may the total number of persons at a residence exceed twice the overnight occupancy or forty (40) persons, whichever is less. source
Folly Beach voters approved an STR license cap in the referendum held February 7th, 2023. source
Folly Beach properties in the Marsh Island and Conservation zoning district are not currently eligible for any short term rental license. source

FAQ

Can I rent a short-term rental in Charleston's historic district?

Only where the City of Charleston permits it: in the Old and Historic District the property must be individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places and be the owner's primary residence, with up to four adults. source

How much tax is added to a Charleston lodging bill?

For City of Charleston property in Charleston County, taxes on accommodations total 14.0%; for city property in Berkeley County, 12.0%. source

Which Charleston beach has public access on Kiawah Island?

Kiawah Beachwalker Park offers the only public beach access on Kiawah Island, per Explore Charleston. source

How many people can stay in an Isle of Palms rental?

Maximum overnight occupancy is typically two people per bedroom plus two, up to 12, excluding children under two. source

What We Could Not Confirm

Not confirmed: we looked for these on official pages and did not find them. Check with the town or operator before you rely on them.

Town of Mount Pleasant short-term rental rules (permit cap, owner requirements): no tompsc.com page read; only third-party summaries found.
Town of Kiawah Island and Sullivan's Island STR license rules: no official town page read.
Folly Beach STR status in 2026: news reports (Live 5, ABC News 4, August 2026) describe an Aug. 14, 2026 court ruling against the investor-license cap and a council appeal plus moratorium; not confirmed on a city page, so leave current status out or label it.
Town of Summerville STR ordinance (2020) and accommodations tax rate: found only in news/third-party summaries, not on summervillesc.gov.
Explore Charleston gives Kiawah as both '25 miles southwest of Charleston' and 'just 20 miles from Charleston' on the same page; use the 48 min travel time line only, or compute.
Explore Charleston has no separate French Quarter or downtown area page (URLs redirect to the areas index); the historic district item uses NPS and City sources.
Isle of Palms rental license page refers to '2026 SHORT-TERM RENTAL APPLICATION'; full ordinance text not read.

Sources

Read on October 26, 2026. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.

Cite this page: It's South Carolina, “Where to Stay in Charleston”, itssouthcarolina.com/destinations/lowcountry/charleston/where-to-stay-in-charleston/ (updated 2026-10-26). By the It's South Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.