The Short Term Rental Certificate: City of Charleston Ordinance is a one-owner notice filed with the Office of the County Assessor when a property that may carry the 4% Legal Residence ratio will be used as a short term rental (STR). It is one of the Charleston property tax documents that deal with how the assessor classifies a home, and the form says that filing it serves as your written notice of the change in use. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the original form is published by the City of Charleston at the official URL.
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What is Charleston County Assessor's Office 4% Property Tax Verification – Charleston, SC?
The Short Term Rental Certificate: City of Charleston Ordinance is a form for the Office of the County Assessor on which a property owner gives written notice that a property will be, or already is, operated as a short term rental (STR). This page lists it under the name Charleston County Assessor's Office 4% Property Tax Verification.
The form collects the property address, the parcel ID, the owner name or names and the date you will begin (or actually began) operating the STR. It then asks three counts: separate dwelling units on the property, total bedrooms, and rooms that STR guests will use for sleeping. Floor plans must be attached.
The tax effect is stated on the form itself. Using a property as an STR affects your ability to fully qualify for the 4% Legal Residence exemption, and any part of the property used as an STR is assessed at the 6% rate. The form cites SC Code of Laws 12-43-220, which requires an owner who qualified for the special assessment ratio to notify the assessor of a change in classification within six months of a change in ownership or use. The form treats use as an STR as a change in use and says that filing the certificate is your written notice that you intend to change the use.
By signing, the owner also certifies that the floor plan is the same one submitted to the City of Charleston with the Short Term Rental Application. The form is not that application: it is the assessor's certificate that accompanies the STR process.
Who needs to file Charleston County Assessor's Office 4% Property Tax Verification – Charleston, SC?
Property owners who will use a property, or part of it, as a short term rental in the City of Charleston and who may be receiving the 4% Legal Residence ratio on it use this certificate. The form says that any part of the property used as an STR will be assessed at the 6% rate, and that filing the certificate serves as written notice of the change in use.
It is also for owners who have submitted, or are submitting, a Short Term Rental Application to the City of Charleston: by signing, you certify that the attached floor plan is the same one filed with that application.
- Every owner who signs does so in ink: the form has two lines for original signatures, each with a date, and asks for the owners' names printed legibly.
- Owners who have already started operating the STR also use it: the date field accepts the date you actually began.
The form names no other exclusions and does not describe who may sign for an owner. For questions about whether it applies to your situation, the form directs you to call the Assessor's Office at 843-958-4100.
When to file Charleston County Assessor's Office 4% Property Tax Verification – Charleston, SC
File the certificate when you plan to begin using the property as a short term rental, or promptly if you already have. The form asks for the date you will begin (or actually began) operating the STR, so it can be completed before or after the start. It quotes SC Code of Laws 12-43-220: an owner who qualified for the special assessment ratio must notify the assessor of the change in classification within six months of the change, and the form states that use as an STR is a change in use. The form prints no separate due date beyond that rule.
Because the floor plan must match the one given to the City of Charleston with your Short Term Rental Application, have the plan ready from that application first. The City's Application Materials page also says that STR permits must be renewed annually by the original date of issuance, and that you must not advertise or operate an STR until all approvals, inspections and fees are complete and a Certificate of Operation and business license are issued.
Documents you need
- Complete floor plans, drawn to scale, of the building(s) where the STR unit(s) will be located, with all rooms labeled (living, kitchen, dining, bedroom, bathroom, stairs, etc.) and all doorways shown.
- On the floor plan, a clear note of which rooms will be used for STR and which rooms the property owner will use solely for their own occupancy and residence.
- The same floor plan that was submitted to the City of Charleston with your Short Term Rental Application, as you certify by signing.
How to fill out Charleston County Assessor's Office 4% Property Tax Verification – Charleston, SC
Enter property address and parcel ID
Write the full PROPERTY ADDRESS and the PARCEL ID of the property that will be used as a short term rental.
List the owner name(s)
In OWNER NAME(S), enter every owner of the property.
Give the STR start date
Enter the date you will begin, or actually began, operating the short term rental.
Count dwelling units on question 1
Answer how many separate dwelling units are on the property.
Enter bedroom totals on question 2
Write the total number of bedrooms on the property.
Count guest sleeping rooms on question 3
Enter how many rooms will be used by STR guests for sleeping.
Prepare the floor plan for item 4
Attach complete floor plans drawn to scale with all rooms labeled and all doorways shown, noting the rooms for STR use and the rooms the owner uses solely as their own residence.
Print names and phone numbers
Under Owner's Name(s) print legibly, print each owner's name and add daytime phone number(s).
Sign and date in ink
Each owner signs on an Original Signature line and enters the date. The signature certifies that you know the 4% Legal Residence ratio will be affected and that the plan matches the one filed with the City's STR application.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check that every line is complete and leave the office-use block blank. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF, sign the paper original and deliver it as described under How to submit.
How to submit Charleston County Assessor's Office 4% Property Tax Verification – Charleston, SC
The form prints no mailing address, portal or drop-off instruction of its own; it sets one rule about delivery: do not email or fax it, because an original signature is required. Submit the signed paper original.
- Where to ask: the letterhead names the Office of the County Assessor, 4050 Bridge View Drive, Suite 100, North Charleston, SC 29405, and the form directs questions to the Assessor's Office at 843-958-4100. Call before sending to confirm how the office wants the original delivered.
- What to include: the completed, signed certificate with the complete floor plans attached.
- Related application: the City of Charleston's Application Materials page says an STR or B&B application and all required documentation must be submitted together, and that incomplete applications will be denied. Follow the City's instructions for that application.
Leave the "For office use only" block at the bottom blank. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Emailing or faxing the certificate; the form says an original signature is required and warns not to email or fax it.
- Signing only a copy or leaving the Original Signature lines blank, or signing for fewer owners than the owners listed.
- Attaching floor plans that are not drawn to scale, leave rooms unlabeled or omit doorways.
- Leaving the floor plan without a note of which rooms are for STR use and which are the owner's own residence.
- Attaching a floor plan that differs from the one submitted to the City of Charleston with the Short Term Rental Application.
- Filling in the "For office use only" block, which is reserved for the assessor.
- Waiting longer than six months after the change in use to notify the assessor, the period SC Code of Laws 12-43-220 sets as quoted on the form.
- Advertising or operating the STR before approvals, inspections, fees, the Certificate of Operation and the business license are in place, as the City warns.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Charleston Short Term Rental Certificate?
It is a form for the Office of the County Assessor on which an owner gives written notice that a property will be used as a short term rental. The form states that STR use affects the 4% Legal Residence ratio and that any part used as an STR is assessed at the 6% rate.
Does a short term rental change my 4% Legal Residence ratio?
Yes, according to the form. It says that using a property as an STR affects your ability to fully qualify for the 4% Legal Residence exemption and that any part used as an STR will be assessed at the 6% rate. Call 843-958-4100 for how it applies to your parcel.
Can I email or fax the short term rental certificate?
No. The form says not to email or fax it because an original signature is required. Sign the paper original, and call the Assessor's Office at 843-958-4100 to confirm how to deliver it.
How long do I have to notify the assessor of a change in use?
The form quotes SC Code of Laws 12-43-220, which requires notice of the change in classification within six months of a change in ownership or use. The form treats STR use as a change in use and says filing the certificate is your written notice.
What floor plan do I need to attach?
Complete floor plans drawn to scale for the building(s) with the STR unit(s), every room labeled and all doorways shown. The plan must mark the rooms used for STR and the rooms the owner uses solely as a residence, and it must match the plan filed with your City STR application.
Do I need this certificate before I start renting?
The form asks for the date you will begin or actually began operating the STR, so it can be completed on either side of the start date. The City's Application Materials page says you must not advertise or operate an STR until all approvals are done and the required certificate and license are issued.
Can I fill out the short term rental certificate online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is independent of the City and the Assessor and does not file the form; you still need to sign the original and deliver it through the agency's channels.
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