December 30, 2020
Business/Contractor/Rental License Renewals
The Town begins business/contractor/rental license renewals online on January 1. Applications renewed after February 28 will be charged a late fee of 5% per month. To begin the renewal process, visit the online services portal.
SC Legislators have taken actions to standardize the licensing process among state jurisdictions and reduce the procedural burden on business. As a result, there are changes to business license regulations taking effect in 2022. The first step in the business licenses standardization process is adopting the standard license period and due date to make doing business across multiple cities easier. Therefore, 2021 Kiawah Island business licenses will be extended to 16 months and valid until April 30, 2022. After that, the license year will be from May 1 to April 30.
Rental Properties: All rental properties are required to have an annual rental business license. Applications renewed after February 28 will be charged a late fee of $1,000. To obtain or renew a business license click here. If you solely use a property management company, the agency will obtain or renew your license and pay all applicable fees.
It is the responsibility of the rental owner to report all gross income generated by each property, including gross income generated through a property management company, home-share platforms (such as VRBO, HomeAway, or Airbnb), or any other source, in accord with the requirements of Sections 4-304 and 4-306 of the Town’s Municipal Business License Ordinance. If you are no longer renting your property on Kiawah Island, you must close your rental license by emailing the Town’s business license department at businesslicenses@kiawahisland.org.