Hilton Head Island, SC · Short vs mid-term
Short-term or mid-term rental in Hilton Head Island?
On modelled numbers, nightly short-term renting comes out ahead by $8,498 a year after costs. Nightly renting nets $51,068 on 54 turnovers; a monthly tenant at $4,500 nets $42,570 with a handful of moves a year.
Short-term net
$51,068
After 32% operating costs
Mid-term net
$42,570
After 14% operating costs
Difference
+$8,498
Short-term minus mid-term
Turnovers a year
54 vs ~2
Nightly vs monthly
Side by side
| Short-term (nightly) | Mid-term (monthly) | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross income | $75,100 | $49,500 |
| Modelled operating costs | −$24,032 | −$6,930 |
| Net income | $51,068 | $42,570 |
| Pricing basis | $332 a night at 62% | $4,500 a month, 11 months let |
| Turnovers a year | 54 | 1–3 |
| Furnishing and setup | Full furnishing, linens, supplies | Furnished, lighter consumables |
| Income stability | Season-dependent | Predictable while tenanted |
| Rule exposure | Directly affected by short-term rental rules | Often outside short-term rental rules at 30+ nights |
Operating costs are modelled at 32% of gross revenue for a nightly rental (cleaning, supplies, utilities, platform fees, maintenance, insurance) and 14% for a monthly rental. Financing assumes a 25% down payment and a 30-year loan at 7%. These are planning assumptions, not quotes — replace them with your own numbers. Mid-term income assumes 11 let months out of 12 and a monthly rent modelled at 45% of a month of nightly revenue. Many owners in seasonal markets run a hybrid: nightly through peak season, monthly through the trough.
The hybrid option
Hilton Head Island demand peaks in Jul and bottoms in Dec, a 2.0× spread. Running nightly through the peak months and taking a mid-term booking through the trough usually beats committing to one model all year — especially where a 30-night booking also sidesteps local short-term rental restrictions.
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