Recent reports of law enforcement responding to multiple large parties at vacation rental properties along the Grand Strand have once again highlighted an important question for South Carolina communities:
Who is best positioned to protect homeowners, neighbors, and our communities when short-term rental problems arise?
A recent WMBF News report detailing multiple party-related incidents at North Strand vacation rentals illustrates the challenges local communities continue to face as the short-term rental industry grows. We encourage readers to review the article for themselves to better understand why this conversation is so important: https://www.wmbfnews.com/2026/06/24/its-madness-north-strand-police-break-up-multiple-parties-rental-properties/
At the South Carolina Vacation Rental Alliance (SCVRA), we believe these incidents reinforce why South Carolina should modernize its laws through H.3876 by allowing licensed professional property managers the option to serve as the Merchant of Record for the properties they manage.
Risk Management Starts Long Before Check-In
When disruptive parties, property damage, illegal activity, or neighborhood complaints occur, the conversation often focuses on what happened after the guest arrived.
Professional property managers know that effective risk management begins long before someone ever receives a door code.
Many licensed South Carolina property managers invest heavily in multiple layers of guest screening and fraud prevention. Depending on their company policies and applicable laws, these measures may include identity verification, fraud detection tools, reservation reviews, occupancy validation, minimum-age requirements, guest communication, and other screening technologies designed to identify high-risk reservations before they become community problems.
While online travel agencies (OTAs) such as Airbnb and other booking platforms conduct their own screening processes, SCVRA believes that platform screening alone is not enough to provide the highest level of risk reduction for South Carolina communities.
The local licensed property manager is ultimately responsible for the home, the homeowner’s investment, and responding when problems occur. That responsibility deserves the ability to apply one consistent guest qualification and transaction process across every reservation, regardless of where the booking originated.
Boots on the Ground Make a Difference
Technology is valuable, but it cannot replace local accountability.
Licensed professional property managers have employees living and working in the communities they serve. They know the neighborhoods. They understand local ordinances, homeowners’ association rules, and community expectations. Most importantly, they can respond immediately when issues arise.
When a neighbor reports excessive noise, unauthorized occupancy, or suspicious activity, there is a local team available to investigate and take action.
That local response helps protect homeowners, neighborhoods, guests, and the reputation of South Carolina’s vacation rental industry.
H.3876 Is About Providing an Option
One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding South Carolina H.3876 is that it somehow changes how self-managed homeowners operate.
It does not.
Self-managed homeowners would continue operating exactly as they do today.
The legislation instead focuses on licensed professional property managers who already operate under South Carolina law and are regulated by the South Carolina Real Estate Commission.
H.3876 simply gives those licensed professionals the option to serve as the Merchant of Record for the properties they manage. If they choose not to, the online travel agency can continue serving in that role.
This flexibility allows professional property managers to maintain one consistent operational process across all booking channels while continuing to work with online travel platforms.
Accountability Should Match Responsibility
Professional property managers are already responsible for managing vacation homes on behalf of homeowners.
- They answer to property owners.
- They manage guest issues.
- They coordinate maintenance.
- They respond to emergencies.
- They work with law enforcement when necessary.
- They help protect neighborhood quality of life.
SCVRA believes the party responsible for managing the property should also have the ability to manage the transaction when appropriate.
Aligning responsibility with operational control creates greater consistency, stronger accountability, and improved risk management.
Protecting South Carolina Communities
Short-term rentals are an important part of South Carolina’s tourism economy, but they also require responsible management.
The overwhelming majority of guests enjoy their vacations without incident. However, the rare situations that do occur can have a significant impact on homeowners, neighbors, and local communities.
Licensed professional property managers serve as local stewards of these properties. They are accountable under South Carolina law, maintain ongoing relationships with homeowners, invest in guest screening technologies, and provide rapid local response when issues arise.
SCVRA believes empowering these professionals through H.3876 represents a practical step toward strengthening accountability while preserving homeowner choice and supporting responsible vacation rental management throughout South Carolina.
Learn More About H.3876
There has been significant misinformation surrounding South Carolina H.3876. We encourage homeowners, property managers, legislators, and members of the public to review the facts for themselves.
Find out the truth about what South Carolina Bill H.3876 does and what it doesn’t do, review educational resources, and better understand what the bill does—and just as importantly, what it does not do.
Protecting South Carolina’s homeowners, communities, and visitors requires more than technology alone. It requires local professionals with boots on the ground, consistent operational standards, and the accountability that comes from being licensed and regulated by the State of South Carolina.
At SCVRA, we believe H.3876 is an important step toward achieving exactly that.