North Myrtle Beach Eyes New STR Rules After Court Ruling Limits Options

North Myrtle Beach may be moving toward a new short-term rental ordinance, and a recent court ruling has already narrowed the city's options before any vote is taken. On September 21, 2026, City Council went behind closed doors to hear legal advice tied to a case that isn't theirs but could define exactly how far they can go in regulating vacation rentals.

The Ruling That Changed the Conversation

The closed executive session centered on Park Lane Partners LLC and Elizabeth Spratt Cooper v. City of Folly Beach. Last month, a Charleston County circuit judge ruled that Folly Beach's cap on short-term rental permits and its revenue-based fee on rental operators were adopted illegally under state law. Folly Beach's council voted to appeal. North Myrtle Beach is not a party to that case, but its council felt the ruling was important enough to warrant a private legal briefing before any public discussion.

The city offered no public explanation for why council needed this briefing now. But the signal is hard to miss: North Myrtle Beach has debated short-term rental rules for years, and residents are already asking whether a new ordinance is in the works and how this ruling limits the options on the table.

What This Means for Hosts Right Now

The Folly Beach decision is a warning shot for any coastal South Carolina city that wants to cap permits or charge operators revenue-based fees. If North Myrtle Beach was considering either of those tools, the ruling makes them legally risky. That doesn't mean the city is powerless, but it does mean the regulatory path forward is narrower than it was a year ago.

For hosts operating in the area, the practical stakes are real. North Myrtle Beach has been circling this issue for years without landing on a final framework. A new ordinance, if one is coming, could reshape who can legally rent, under what conditions, and at what cost. The closed-door briefing suggests the city is actively working through its legal options, not just monitoring the situation from a distance.

Meanwhile, hosts should understand the baseline rules already in place in the broader Myrtle Beach market. Short-term rentals, defined as any rental of less than 90 days, are restricted by zoning. Most traditional residential zoning districts do not allow them, with the exception of the RMV (Residential Multifamily Visitor) zone. A business license is required to rent a property, and fewer than 30 houses in traditional residential zones are grandfathered for STR use. The effective minimum stay in most zones is 30 nights.

When to Watch and What to Do

Monday's votes were first readings. The realistic window for public input is the October second readings, when council takes final action. Public comment at these meetings is limited to 30 minutes total and three minutes per speaker, and speakers cannot give their time to someone else. That is a tight window, so hosts who want to be heard need to show up prepared and on time.

The closed-session briefing may never be discussed publicly in detail. Watch whether any vote or agenda item follows the legal briefing at the October meeting. That is the clearest signal of whether a new ordinance is actually moving forward.

• Track the October City Council agenda for any STR-related action items or ordinance introductions.
• Confirm your property's zoning status, especially if you are outside the RMV zone.
• Make sure your business license is current before any new registration requirements take effect.
• Attend or stream the October second readings. The livestream link for council meetings is available through the NMB Agenda Center.

The Folly Beach ruling has not stopped North Myrtle Beach from acting. It has just forced the city to be more careful about how it acts. For hosts, that means the rules could change, and the timeline is closer than it looks.

For the complete Myrtle Beach compliance guide including tax calculator, checklist, and daily monitoring, see Myrtle Beach, SC STR Regulations.