NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- The North Myrtle Beach City Council held a City Council Workshop to discuss Short-Term Rentals on Wednesday, November 20, at 1:30 PM at City Hall.
The City Council Workshop provided an opportunity for Council Members and City Staff to discuss the current short-term rental ordinance and explore ways to address identified issues and concerns.
Currently, the City has approximately 5,400 short-term rentals registered with a business license. Of these, about 1,700 do not have a designated local responsible party. The existing ordinance does not include occupancy limits or geographical restrictions. While a comprehensive ordinance was drafted four years ago, it was not adopted. Since then, the City has passed smaller, more targeted ordinances addressing specific issues such as noise, trash, and parking.
During the workshop, Staff proposed adopting a new comprehensive ordinance with the following key provisions:
- Requiring an annual permit for short-term rentals.
- Mandating a local responsible party to respond to complaints.
- Establishing a structured enforcement process for complaints.
- Requiring physical inspections for safety and parking compliance.
To manage the proposed permit system and enforcement, Staff suggested a hybrid operational model. This would involve hiring a management vendor and allocating City staff to collaborate with the vendor.
City Council was generally receptive to Staff’s proposal, expressing agreement that the City needs additional tools and resources to enforce existing ordinances and ensure compliance by all short-term rentals. The proposed changes aim to address ongoing concerns while allowing the City’s Police Department to focus on its core mission of ensuring public safety.
City Council requested more discussion and additional Workshops to work through this.
View the Agenda and the Livestream Link here.
Livestream Test | The City Council Workshop was livestreamed through the City's YouTube Channel and shared across all of the City's social media channels. This livestream was a 'test-run' for Staff to ensure all technology is working properly before the official 'roll-out'. The City will begin livestreaming City Council Meetings in January 2025.