FAQs
- Seacoast Sports and Outfitters 843-768-8486 (Freshfields Village)
- Online at the Department of Natural Resources 843-762-5000
- Many area tackle shops and local Wal-Mart stores.
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- Charleston International Airport is approximately a 45-minute drive from Kiawah Island.
- Charleston Executive Airport on Johns Island is approximately a 20-minute drive from Kiawah Island.
- Bon Secours/St. Francis Xavier Hospital (West Ashley)
- Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) (Downtown)
- Roper Hospital (Downtown)
- East Cooper Regional Medical Center (Mount Pleasant)
- Trident Medical Center (Summerville)
- Mount Pleasant Hospital (Roper St. Francis)(Mount Pleasant)
Medical Centers
- The Kiawah Seabrook Medical and Urgent Care (Freshfields)
Mailing services are also offered in Freshfields Village in the Post & Computer Center Computer Store Address: 130 Gardners Cir, Johns Island, SC 29455. Phone:843-768-2626.
First Baptist Church of Johns Island:
3483 Maybank Highway Johns Island, SC 29455
Phone: 843-559-0367
Citadel Square Baptist Church (Downtown)
328 Meeting Street Charleston, SC 29403
Phone: 843-577-3707
Mosques
Islamic Center of Charleston (Downtown)
1117 King Street Charleston, SC 29403
Phone: 843-958-9585
Episcopal
Church of Our Savior
4416 Bohicket Road Johns Island, SC 29455
Phone: 843-768-2046
St. John’s Episcopal
3673 Maybank Highway Johns Island, SC 29455
Phone: 843-559-9560
Presbyterian
Johns Island Presbyterian
2550 Bohicket Road Johns Island, SC 29455
Phone: 843-559-9380
First Scots Presbyterian (Downtown)
53 Meeting Street Charleston, SC 29401
Phone: 843-722-8882
Methodist
Bethany United Methodist
1853 Maybank Highway James Island, SC 29412
Phone: 843-795-3527
Christian
Central Christian Church
1740 Jervey Street West Ashley, SC 29407
Phone: 843-556-4201
James Island Christian Church
12 Sawgrass Road James Island, SC 29412
Phone: 843-795-9449
Non-Denominational
Ashley Heights Church of Christ
2605 South Oakridge Circle Charleston Heights, SC 29420
Phone: 843-553-4970
Christian Science
First Church of Christian Scientists (Downtown)
137 Moultrie Street Charleston, SC 29403
Phone: 843-723-3217
Catholic
Catholic Holy Spirit Catholic
3871 Betsy Kerrison Parkway Johns Island, SC ?29455
Phone: 843-768-9039
Synagogues
Beth Elohim Reform (Downtown)
69 Wentworth Street Charleston, SC ?29401
Phone: 843-723-7324
B’rith Shalom Beth Israel (Downtown)
182 Rutledge Avenue Charleston, SC 29403
Phone: 843-577-6599
- Charleston Post & Courier: 843-577-1111
- New York Times: Can be read at the Sandcastle Library or picked up at East Beach. No delivery is currently available on Kiawah Island.
- USA Today: 843-849-7060
- Wall Street Journal: 1-800-Journal
- Kiawah Seabrook Exchange Club Directory: Contact Frank Farfone at 843-768-1105.
- Charleston Visitor’s Center, located in Town Hall: contact Jan Fox at 843-768-5116.
- Bank of America: 125 Hedgerow Ln., Freshfields Village 843-559-4800.
- BB&T: 340 Freshfields Dr 843-768-924
- Wells Fargo: 100 Village Green Lane, Freshfields Village 843-768-8248
- Southcoast Community Bank: 2753 Maybank Highway, Johns Island 843-559-5029
- Ashley Hall School (Exclusively for girls)
- 172 Rutledge Avenue ?Charleston, SC 29403
- Phone: 843-722-4088 (K-12)
- Bishop England High School:
- 363 Seven Farms Drive ?Charleston, SC 29492
- Phone: 843-849-9599 (9-12)
- Charleston Collegiate School?:
- 2024 Academy Drive? Johns Island, SC 29455
- Phone: 843-559-5506 (K-12)
- The Citadel:
- 171 Moultrie Street Charleston, SC 29409
- Phone: 843-953-5000
- College Of Charleston:
- 66 George Street Charleston, SC 29424
- Phone: 843-953-5670
- Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)
- 171 Ashley Avenue Charleston, SC 29425
- Phone: 843-792-2300
- The property must be subscribed to twice a week backdoor trash collection.
- Owners must have an active account with the South Carolina Department of Revenue and Charleston County to submit accommodations tax (see the section on this webpage labeled Sales and Accommodation Taxes).
- Owners must apply for a rental business license with the Town and pass an inspection of the rental properties for conformance to building codes.
The rules for when you are required to collect sales and accommodation taxes are complicated and depend on whether your house is a primary residence (4% assessment) or a secondary residence (6% assessment) and how many days of the year it is rented. There are several taxes that must be collected, and some are paid to the state and some to Charleston County. Provided below are the links.
The annual application fee for the STR Business License, including lot applicants, is $500 for any property located in the R1 or R2 zoning districts subject to caps; $200 for all other properties. In addition, there is an annual license fee that is based on gross receipts. To find out what district a property is in, owners can access the zoning map here or call the Planning Director at 843-768-9979.
In the event a license is not granted due to licenses being capped, the application fee will be suspended until the application is approved, and a license is awarded.
Individuals are responsible for reviewing the entire short-term rental ordinance to ensure compliance. Below is a brief summary:
- Every owner of a property who operates their property as a short-term rental must have a current license during any calendar year in which a short-term rental is operated. A separate license is required for each property. Licenses expire annually on April 30 and are not automatically renewed. Renewals must be reapplied for no later than April 30, without penalty.
- Licenses are distributed by the Town’s finance department and should be applied for through the online services portal. Licenses for rental properties are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Existing STR license holders have first preference to renew by April 30 to maintain their license, as long as the license is in good standing with the Town.
- Licenses do not run with the property unless it is an intra-family transfer of property. If a home with a license is sold, the new owner must apply for their own STR license, subject to section 15-802, and all other provisions in the STR ordinance.
- The owner of an undeveloped lot can obtain a Provisional Lot License (PLL). The PLL is valid for three years from issuance and guarantees the owner the right to obtain a Rental Business License upon issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy. PLL’s can only transfer if there is an intra-family transfer of property.
- Properties holding an STR business license will have first preference to maintain their license, as long as the license is in good standing with the Town and they renew by April 30. A license may be subject to expiration or may not be renewed should an owner not report any rental income revenue or not be actively making their property available for rent. The owner will need to demonstrate the short-term rental property was available and advertised for rental throughout the previous year.
- The Town limits the number of rental business licenses issued annually. Caps establish a limit of 20% of all homes, island-wide in R-1 and portions of R-2 and no limit in all other residential zoning districts. The cap is calculated as a percentage of rental licenses (including PLL’s) to developed lots within the R1 zoning district, and the specific R2 zoned areas identified below. Developed lot numbers are defined from the County Assessors Office as of December 31 of the prior calendar year.
- If/when licensing caps are reached, existing license holders have first preference to renew as long as they renew their licenses by April 30 annually, and as long as the license is in good standing with the Town. If the license holder fails to renew their license, they will be placed on a waitlist on a first-come, first-served basis. If the license cap has been reached, new applicants applicant will be placed on a waiting list until a license becomes available.
- To find the zoning district for your property, you can look up your street name on the designation list or on the zoning map. For further assistance, call the Town’s planning department at 843-768-9166.
Each property has a zoning designation associated with it based on density and lot size. The zones addressed in the ordinance are as follows:
Residential 1 – (R-1) Single-family Homes
Residential 2 – (R-2) Single-family Homes & Single-family attached (cottages)
Residential 3 – (R-3) Multifamily (villas)
To find the zoning district for your property, you can look up your street name on the designation list or on the zoning map. For further assistance, call the Town’s planning department at 843-768-9166.Destination or Private Vacation Clubs (“Destination Clubs”) are classified as private and/or exclusive membership organizations or commercial businesses primarily engaged in providing short-term overnight accommodations and related services for its club members with non-ownership interest who seek alternative options to standard vacation home rentals. Destination Clubs typically own or lease properties from the owners on a long-term basis, provide those properties in a variety of locations to its members on a short-term basis, and model a membership access structure where its members purchase membership levels granting access to properties and personalized services. Properties offered by Destination Clubs to a member for less than thirty (30) days are considered STRs whether the Destination Club is an owner of record or a lessee. All references to “owners” in this Chapter apply to Destination Clubs.
Destination Clubs and Private Vacation Clubs are not permitted by the Town’s zoning regulations in Residential Zones R1, R2, and R3 unless they comply with the following requirements:
- Obtains an STR business license for each property;
- Pays all required State Sales Tax (8%), State (2%), County (2%) and Local Accommodation (1%) Taxes on gross receipts collected from STRs;
- Complies with all other rules and regulations applicable to STRs;
- Provides no commercial services on the subject property; and
- The owner of the property, if different from the Destination Club obtains a standard business license.
Any applicable properties in R1, R2, or R3 holding a valid STR business license as of the effective date of this ordinance shall be grandfathered and included in calculating the license cap, subject to the following conditions:
- Residential Business Licenses expire as of April 30 of each year. Failure to renew by the close of business on April 30 will result in the expiration of the license.
- No late renewals will be permitted for non-conforming use properties, including Destination Clubs and Vacation Clubs.
- All grandfathered properties shall remain subject to the requirements of this Chapter as STRs.
- Destination Clubs and Private Vacations Clubs are permitted in Zones R2/Commercial, R3/Commercial, RST-1, RST-2, RST-1/R3, R-2(DA), R-3(DA), and RST-2(DA) are subject to the approval of uses prescribed in the Zoning Ordinance and the requirements of this Chapter as STRs.
Renter Education
A copy of the island’s rules and regulations must be provided to each rental guest and a copy of the rules and regulations must be posted in a visible location within each rental unit. Rental owners/agencies may develop their own format of the rules to be posted in the units.
Local Contacts
The owner (or authorized agent) who does not reside within the Charleston Metro Area must identify an individual(s) to serve as a local contact and be authorized and able to respond to emergency conditions or complaints affecting the property and to inquiries from all entities.
You must have a 24-hour contact phone number posted in a visible location within each unit. The local contact must be present within the Charleston Metro Area and be available to respond within two hours after being notified of an emergency by a guest or by a Town employee during any 24-hour period. If there is a change to a local contact, you must provide updated information to the Town of Kiawah Island Business License Department in writing within three business days.
Maximum Occupancy
The maximum occupancy for all short-term rental properties is two occupants per code-compliant bedroom. Two additional occupants are allowed per dwelling unit. For example, a four-bedroom rental property shall have a maximum of ten occupants. Children under the age of 2 are not included in calculating maximum occupancy.
The number of bedrooms for determining occupancy is based on Charleston County Property Tax records. If an applicant seeks to claim more bedrooms than shown on Charleston County records, the owner or agent must contact the Town’s code enforcement office for review and determination prior to renting. Temporary conversion of rooms such as dining rooms, living rooms, studies, etc., for use as bedrooms for rental purposes, is not permitted.
Parking and Driveways
The maximum number of vehicles permitted for overnight parking for each single-family dwelling unit must be in accordance with the number of parking spaces as defined on the rental application. Vehicles may only be parked on permanent paved or gravel parking surfaces. Parking on grass or landscaped areas is prohibited at all times. Vehicles must be parked in a manner that permits the passage of emergency vehicles. Overnight parking in driveways must allow emergency vehicles within 25 feet of the residence.
If a garage is considered in the number of parking spots on the application then access must be provided at all times that the rental is operational. Parking for villa units must be in the villa complex.
Pickups greater than a one-half ton, and cargo vans greater than 12 passengers, recreation vehicles (RVs), buses, trailers, boats, and other large vehicles are prohibited from parking overnight islandwide. Vehicles can not be used for sleeping or overnight accommodations. Properties must comply with St. Johns Fire District requirements and applicable Architectural Review Board regulations for residential zoning districts (R-1, R-2, and R-3) which require that driveway clearance for fire trucks be a minimum of ten feet wide for straight drives and have a height clearance of 13.6 feet.
Trash Collection
Rentals must be subscribed to back-door trash collection two times per week, including recycling service. Trash receptacles must be stored in an enclosed garage or approved screened enclosure whereby the receptacles are not visible from the street. Villas must use provided dumpsters for trash disposal. Dumpster pick-up service must be sufficiently frequent to avoid trash overflow. Dumpsters must be stored on an approved screened pad.
Storage of Personal Items
No clothing or towels are permitted to be draped over deck railings. Bicycles and beach gear and other personal items must be stored in a garage or enclosure and not visible from the street side or adjoining properties or left in a driveway, yard, or parking lot. Villa complexes must provide adequate bicycle racks for overnight bicycle storage. All other gear shall be stored indoors or in provided storage closets.
Exterior Lighting
Outdoor lighting for all other dwellings shall be turned off from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily.
From May 15 – October 31, all outdoor lighting, facing seaward in beachfront units must be turned off from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Any of the following will be considered a violation of the Town’s short term rental ordinance:
1) Operation of a rental property without complying with the requirements and the Town code of ordinances;
2) Misrepresentation on a short-term rental business license application;
3) Advertisement of a property as being available as a rental without first complying with the requirements of the Town’s ordinance excluding properties exempt from these provisions of the rental program not exceeding 14 calendar days on an annual basis;
4) Expansion of allowable occupancy or parking of a rental unit without obtaining a new license;
5) Advertisement of a rental property as being available for more overnight occupants than have been permitted in the ordinance;
6) Advertisement or rental of separate guest or pool houses as an independent rental unit. Such units can be included under a rental business license issued to a single address, but it cannot be rented as a stand-alone unit;
7) Rental of only a portion or individual rooms of a property, to include detached homes, villas, cottages, and any other property. No rental business license will be issued unless the property is to be rented in its entirety. Owners are permitted to lock off closets or bedrooms from guest access;
8) Operation of a commercial business in an STR property. Examples include, but are not limited to catering, telemarketing, or distribution of goods; and
9) Pruning or otherwise altering vegetation and dunes without the required permits from the Town or other applicable jurisdiction (Kiawah Island Community Association, or the Kiawah Island Architectural Review Board).
Complaints regarding short-term rentals should be brought to the attention of Town Code Enforcement Offices for follow up. To report addresses that are potentially in violation, please use one of the following reporting methods:
- Call the 24-hour hotline at 843-259-2137
- Email strcompliant@kiawahisland.org
- Submit a complaint through the online submittal form
Any person violating any provision of the ordinance shall be subject to a fine of up to $500 plus required statutory assessments or imprisonment for not more than 30 days, or both, upon conviction. Each day of violation shall be considered a separate offense. Punishment for the violation shall not relieve the offender of liability for delinquent taxes, penalties, and any other costs.
An owner may authorize an agent or property management firm to comply with the requirements of this ordinance on behalf of the owner. However, the owner shall not be relieved from any personal responsibility and personal liability for noncompliance with any applicable law, rule or regulation pertaining to the use and rental of the STR property, regardless of whether such noncompliance was committed by the owner’s authorized agent, local contact person, renter or guest of the short-term rental.
A property management firm or authorized agent shall be jointly and severally liable for any violations occurring on any of its managed STRs in the Town.
- Electric: Berkeley Electric Co-Operative: 843-559-2458 .
- Gas: Berkeley Propane: 843-761-8200
- Water/Sewer: Kiawah Island Utilities – 843-768-0641
- Comcast: 843-554-4100
- DIRECTV 800-480-0872
- Dish Network: 843-769-6960
- AT&T U-verse: 843-780-2355
The Charleston County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) works closely with law enforcement officers to receive updates on wind speeds on the various bridges throughout the County during an emergency. The public is warned that no matter what the measured sustained wind speeds, there could be unexpected and dangerous wind gusts of higher speeds.
High span bridges (35 feet high or higher) in Charleston County:
• Arthur Ravenel, Jr.Bridge
• Don Holt Bridge
• Cosgrove Bridge (the “North Bridge”)
• Isle of Palms Connector
• James Island Connector
• Limehouse Bridge
• McKinley Washington Bridge (the “Edisto Bridge”)
• Stono Bridge
• Wando River Bridge
• Wappoo Bridge
• Westmoreland Bridge
At 25 mph, draw bridges are locked down to boat traffic:
Draw bridges and swing bridges (bridges that can be mechanically opened to allow for tall boat traffic to pass through from the water) will be locked down to boat traffic when sustained winds reach 25 mph or greater.