Relocation · second homes · rentals
Thinking about moving to the islands?
The move, step by step: the paperwork and the tax deadlines, who runs the power, water and trash on each island, and the rules for a second home or a rental. Every line has its official source. Save your plan to your phone and check it off as you go.
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Your move plan
Pick what kind of move it is and the island. You get the steps that apply, in order, with the deadlines that matter.
Before you move
The first week
The first 30 days
By 90 days, and before the tax deadlines
Utilities and who governs, island by island
Johns Island
- Government
- City of Charleston or Charleston County. It depends on the parcel — look it up with Municipal Limits on. County parcels: Zoning & Planning, (843) 202-7200; Building Inspection Services, (843) 202-6930. Charleston County GIS, public search · Charleston County, Building Inspection Services
- Electric
- Berkeley Electric Cooperative. Check the address on its territory search. Berkeley Electric Cooperative, service territory
- Water
- St. John's Water Company. 3362 Maybank Hwy, (843) 559-0186; new service request online. St. John's Water Company
- Sewer
- Charleston Water System. Only inside the urban growth boundary; septic elsewhere. A lot with no service yet asks for a Service Availability Letter. Charleston Water System, service area
- Trash & recycling
- Depends on the parcel. Outside City limits, the County doesn't collect garbage — a private hauler or a County convenience center. Inside them, check with the City. Charleston County, garbage and landfill
- Internet & TV
- Check by address. No official list — the FCC's broadband map shows who serves the address. FCC, National Broadband Map
Kiawah Island
- Government
- Town of Kiawah Island. Zoning and building permits from the Town. No Town property tax — owners pay Charleston County's bill. Town of Kiawah Island, planning and zoning · Town of Kiawah Island, budget
- Electric
- Berkeley Electric Cooperative. (843) 559-2458. Town of Kiawah Island, FAQs
- Water & sewer
- Kiawah Island Utility. (843) 768-0641 — call to start service. Town of Kiawah Island, FAQs
- Trash & recycling
- Town of Kiawah Island. The Town collects, billed yearly in July and due August 30; three Town recycling drop-offs. Service stays with the property after a sale. Town of Kiawah Island, FAQs
- Internet & TV
- Comcast, AT&T U-verse, DIRECTV, Dish. As the Town lists them. Town of Kiawah Island, cable services
Seabrook Island
- Government
- Town of Seabrook Island. A Town zoning permit first; building permits from Charleston County Building Inspection Services, (843) 202-6930. Town of Seabrook Island, building permits
- Electric
- Berkeley Electric Cooperative. Outages: (888) 253-4232. Town of Seabrook Island, emergency contacts
- Water & sewer
- Seabrook Island Utility Commission. Town-owned. 2902-A Seabrook Island Rd, (843) 768-0102; 2026 new account form. Town of Seabrook Island, emergency contacts · Seabrook Island Utility Commission, 2026 new account form
- Trash & recycling
- SIPOA. The property owners association contracts collection, not the Town. SIPOA, about
- Internet & TV
- Check by address. No official list — the FCC's broadband map shows who serves the address. FCC, National Broadband Map
A second home, a short-term rental or a long-term rental
A second home
Assessed at 6%, with its own flood and wind questions — and on Kiawah and Seabrook, the association's costs.
- The 6% ratio. Only the owner-occupied legal residence is assessed at 4%; a second home is assessed at 6%, and the sale resets its value without the 15% cap.SC Code §12-43-220 · SC Code Title 12, Chapter 37
- Flood is a separate policy. Up to $250,000 for the building and $100,000 for belongings from the federal program, with a 30-day wait unless it's bought with the mortgage.FEMA FloodSmart, what flood insurance covers
- Wind on the coast. Kiawah, Seabrook and eastern Johns Island are inside the coastal area state law sets for the state's wind pool, the SC Wind and Hail Underwriting Association.SC Code §38-75-310 (the wind pool's coastal area)
- The associations. On Kiawah the buyer pays KICA's Contribution to Reserves, 0.5% of the price; on Seabrook, owners join the Club at purchase.KICA Covenants (March 2025), Art. V §6 · SIPOA, about
A short-term rental
Caps, licenses and 13% in taxes on Kiawah and Seabrook — check before you buy.
- Kiawah. Licenses capped at 20% in R-1 and named R-2 areas (97 left on July 31, 2026), and they don't transfer on a sale.Town of Kiawah Island, short-term rentals
- Seabrook. Class A permits capped: 55 of 557 open inside the overlay, 7 of 110 outside, on October 12, 2026; a permit can transfer with a sale closing by April 30, 2027.Town of Seabrook Island, short-term rentals
- Johns Island. In the City, the owner lives on the property and stays overnight during stays; in the County, owner-occupied rentals run up to 72 days, and 73–144 days only in certain zones by special exception.City of Charleston, short-term rental permits · Charleston County, short-term rental brochure
- The taxes. 13% in all on Kiawah and on Seabrook, by the Towns' own papers. The state's share goes to SCDOR — when Vrbo or Expedia takes the booking and the payment, it's responsible for the state tax on that booking. The County's 2% fee and the local rate on top (1% on each island, 2% in the City) are on the County's accommodations page, where new rentals register.Town of Kiawah Island, accommodations tax packet · Town of Seabrook Island, Ordinance 2024-06 summary · SCDOR, accommodations tax · Charleston County, local accommodations fee
- The 72-day line. Rent your own home more than 72 days in a year and it loses the 4% ratio for that year.Charleston County, legal residence application
A long-term rental
South Carolina's landlord-tenant law, and a license on each island.
- Deposits. Back within 30 days, less itemized deductions in writing; wrongful withholding can cost three times the amount, plus attorney's fees. The law sets no maximum deposit.SC Code Title 27, Chapter 40 (landlord and tenant)
- Notices. 24 hours to enter, except emergencies; 5 days after written notice for unpaid rent; 14 days to fix other breaches; 30 days to end a month-to-month.SC Code Title 27, Chapter 40 (landlord and tenant)
- Licenses. Kiawah and Seabrook each want a Town business license; SIPOA also registers rentals each year. In the City, five or more long-term units need a City business license.Town of Kiawah Island, short-term rentals · Town of Seabrook Island, business licenses · SIPOA, rental management companies · City of Charleston, rental registration pilot
More on what it costs to buy and own: the true cost, every fee and the flood zone for any address. Renting it out: guest cards and house manuals.
Tell us what you’re planning
Tap what fits. It reaches the island team as one note, and an agent who lives here answers.
A marsh creek on Seabrook Island
Photo: chucka_nc, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized)
Two ways in
Talk it through with Mike, or ask Val — the guide’s AI assistant, answering from this site’s sourced facts.