Folly Beach, South Carolina is appealing a court ruling against its short-term rental registration fee — meaning the fight over what you may have already paid isn't over yet.
What's changing
A circuit judge ruled the city's STR registration fee is unlawful
City council voted 4-3 to appeal that ruling
The case now heads to the South Carolina Supreme Court
What to do now
If you paid the registration fee under protest, or you're considering doing so while this plays out, keep every receipt and record of the payment. There's currently no refund process while the appeal is pending, so your own paperwork is the only thing that will let you recover the fee later if the city ultimately loses. Don't assume the lower court ruling means the fee is already gone — until the Supreme Court rules, the city can still enforce it.
Don't get caught off guard by the next rule change.
The Host's Edge tracks short-term rental regulation changes every week, in plain English — free.