Proposed Regulations
- Under the draft ordinance, anyone operating a short-term rental in Mt Pleasant would have to apply for a short-term rental permit and pay an annual registration fee, as well as obtain a business license.
- Applicants would have to provide the number of bedrooms being rented, the number of parking spaces available and an affidavit certifying that the property complies with the town fire and building ordinances.
- The maximum occupancy of the rental unit would be two people per bedroom plus two people, and the property would have to have a parking spot for each bedroom.
- Multifamily units would be prohibited from operating short-term rentals, as would properties in any zoning district or neighborhood that specifically prohibits short-term rentals. Parties, weddings or gatherings that would include more than the maximum overnight occupancy of the rental would also be prohibited.
- The owner of the property would have to designate someone to operate the short-term rental. The designated operator, which could be the property owner, would be required to respond to the property within 60 minutes in case of emergency.
- The number of short-term rentals in Mt Pleasant would be capped at 1% of all residential units in the town.
- The penalty for violating the short-term rental ordinance in a one-year period would be a written warning on the first and second violation, a $500 penalty on the third violation, a revocation or non-renewal of the short-term rental permit on the fourth violation.
- The permit may also be immediately revoked if the town planning director determines that the property isn’t being used in accordance with the permit issued or the advertisement of the short-term rental doesn’t include the town permit number and business license number.
Source: Charleston Regional Business Journal
