Folly Beach Short-Term Rental Rules and News.
A judge struck down Folly Beach’s 800-license cap on investor rentals in August. The city has appealed, frozen most new licenses until February 19, 2027 and hired a firm to study what should replace the cap.
Compiled by Fluffy · Updated October 26, 2026
Where things stand
As of October 26, 2026A summary of council decisions and local reporting, not legal advice. Rules change at council meetings, so confirm with the city before acting on a property.
What it means for hosts in Folly Beach
Stories
Timeline
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Study awarded to Smart City Policy Group
Council voted unanimously to hire the Austin, Texas firm, one of four bidders, for the $50,000 study of the rental rules. Its six scenarios run from keeping the cap as it is to letting licenses transfer when a home is sold.
Sources: Post and Courier, Live 5 -
Rewritten ordinance keeps the cap, drops the fee
Council gave first reading, 6-0, on September 8 to a rewrite that keeps the 800-license limit and removes the revenue-based registration fee the court objected to. Live 5 reported on September 15 that it had passed second reading.
Sources: Post and Courier, Live 5 -
Most new licenses frozen until February 19, 2027
Council approved a moratorium on most new short-term rental licenses, with exemptions for renewals, waitlist offers, owner-occupied 72-day rentals, some hardship and inheritance cases, and applications already filed.
Sources: Live 5, Post and Courier -
City votes to appeal
Council voted to appeal the ruling, arguing it turned on how the cap was adopted rather than on the cap itself.
Sources: Live 5, ABC News 4 -
Judge strikes down the cap and the registration fee
Circuit Judge Thomas J. Rode ruled the 800-license cap was improperly adopted by referendum and the revenue-based registration fee was an improper tax disguised as a fee.
Source: Post and Courier
Platform changes that also apply in Folly Beach
Airbnb and Vrbo change their rules for every listing at once. These are the recent ones that touch the turnover and the cleaning fee.
Fluffy runs turnover cleaning in Folly Beach to the same 75-point standard it uses in every market, at a flat per-turn rate set after a walkthrough, with a free re-clean if a turn misses the standard.
Rules Change. The Turnover Still Has to Happen.
Turnover cleaning in Folly Beach at a flat per-turn rate, set after a walkthrough. Tell us about the property and we reply within one business day.
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