MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) — A proposed bill in the state House dealing with short-term rentals is moving forward. The measure could make it harder for small property managers in South Carolina to list their clients’ homes on Airbnb.
The bill centers on how short-term rental taxes are collected and sent to the government, especially when payments are run through a property manager.
How the bill would work
House Bill 3876 says if accommodations intermediaries, like Airbnb, Vrbo or Expedia, are used and a licensed real estate property manager lists properties on their website, that manager becomes the merchant of record. That means they collect the money and hold it in a trust account until the renter checks out.
Vrbo and Expedia follow that practice and back the bill. Airbnb opposes it…