City of Myrtle Beach issued the following announcement on November 17.
Ever wonder if your home or neighborhood in the City of Myrtle Beach is zoned for short-term rentals? That question comes up regularly, especially when people are looking to buy a new property. Perhaps they don’t want to deal with short-term rentals by their neighbors, or maybe they’re looking to make some extra money. Either way, zoning determines the answer to this question.
Most traditional residential neighborhoods in the City of Myrtle Beach are NOT zoned for short-term rentals. “Short-term” means any rental of less than 90 days. And if you are renting a property, you need a business license.
Any zoning district that begins with R (for residential) does not allow short-term rentals, with the exception of the RMV zone (Residential Multifamily Visitor). So, what zones do allow short-term rentals? See the attached map of zones where rentals of less than 90 days are allowed.
Still have questions? Check the zoning code permitted use table under “visitor accommodations” for other districts in question or call the Zoning Division at 843-918-1179 to inquire about a specific property which isn’t in an R-labeled district. See the Zoning Code online at https://www.cityofmyrtlebeach.com/.../CityofMyrtleBeachZo... and the Zoning Map online at https://www.cityofmyrtlebeach.com/.../ZoningandCityLimits....
City-wide, fewer than 30 houses in traditional residential zones are grandfathered for short-term rentals, having consistently been used for that purpose since prior to the existing zoning. If it’s not already in a zone that allows for short-term rentals, it cannot be converted to or approved for that use. Violations of the zoning code and the business license ordinance are misdemeanors, with fines of up to $500 and/or 30 days upon conviction.
Original source can be found here.