Short-term rental bill a “dangerous game to play” according to local leaders

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCBD)- Concerns regarding a House bill introduced last year have resurfaced.

It has to do with short-term rentals in South Carolina, and now the Senate has introduced a bill in coordination with the House’s version,

Both the House and Senate bills would prohibit individual municipalities from controlling short-term rental in their town.

Regulating short-term rentals has been a back-and-forth fight on the Isle of Palms and other beaches in the Lowcountry.

“We just had our referendum last fall that was defeated, Folly Beach just went through it. Edisto Beach is taking up the cause right now,” Mayor of IOP Phillip Pounds said.

Historically, it’s been something local government controls, but the state government is trying to get its hands on it.

South Carolina House Bill 3253 and Senate Bill 953 would prohibit all municipalities from making an ordinance, resolution, or regulation that restricts short-term rentals and would penalize those that do so.

However, Isle of Palms mayor Phillip Pounds says that’s a dangerous game to play.

“All of our communities are different. Different sizes and make-ups, and we’re certainly different from Sumpter or Aiken or Columbia. To me, to have Columbia dictate what’s going on around the state makes no sense whatsoever,” Mayor Pounds said.

IOP’s neighbor, Mount Pleasant is on the same page.

“I think if they take this away from towns to regulate, not eliminate but regulate short-term rentals, there will probably be a legal challenge to that and we would certainly support that,” Mayor of Mount Pleasant, Will Haynie said.

Mayor Haynie says they allow 400 short-term rentals right now, which he says is the perfect amount for the town, and an unlimited amount would disrupt the community fee.

“I think you would see, especially in the older parts of Mount Pleasant that don’t have covenants and restrictions against them be bought up, and become mini hospitality districts and that’s not a livable community,” Mayor Haynie said.

Mayor Pounds says they’re determined to fight this.

Tuesday night they’re planning to pass a resolution to oppose the bills.

“We have lobbyists that we’ve had for the last two years so we’ve engaged them, that we would give them this resolution tonight of first thing in the morning, so they can on our behalf be beating the bushes in Columbia to let people know where at least IOP stand on this,” Mayor Pounds said.

Mayor Haynie also vowed to join Mayor Pounds in Columbia on this issue.