If you own a property on the Grand Strand, you’ve probably done the math in your head a dozen times. Rent it out by the week to vacationers at $200-plus a night, or sign a good tenant to a 12-month lease? The choice between a long-term vs. short-term rental in Myrtle Beach is the single biggest decision most owners make, and the honest answer is that the sticker numbers rarely tell the whole story. This guide walks through what the two options really earn once the costs are in — written for owners weighing which path fits their property and their life.
The top-line numbers look tempting for short-term
There’s no denying short-term rentals (STRs) post bigger gross figures. Recent 2026 market data puts the median annual revenue for a Myrtle Beach vacation rental at roughly $19,565 for a three-bedroom, $22,320 for a four-bedroom, and $27,808 for a six-plus-bedroom home. Peak summer weeks can command daily rates 80–120% above the shoulder season.
Compare that to the long-term side, where the average Myrtle Beach apartment rents for about $1,631 a month as of mid-2026 — roughly $19,600 a year — a figure that actually softened about 2% from the prior year.
At a glance, it looks close, with STRs edging ahead. But “gross revenue” and “money in your pocket” are two very different things.
Short-term income comes with short-term costs
That vacation-rental revenue gets eaten into fast. Before you keep a dollar, you’re paying for cleaning and turnover between every guest, higher utility and internet bills (you cover them, not the guest), furniture, linens, restocking consumables, listing-platform fees, and state and local accommodations taxes that long-term leases of 90 days or more generally don’t owe. Vacation-rental management also typically runs well above the cost of long-term management because there’s simply more to do.
There’s also the seasonality. Myrtle Beach occupancy swings hard — often around 80% in the summer but dropping toward the low 30s in the winter months. Your calendar can look fantastic in July and sit nearly empty in January, while your mortgage, insurance, and HOA dues never take a season off. Many median-performing STRs, once every expense is counted, don’t cash-flow the way the top-line number suggests.
Long-term rentals trade ceiling for stability
An annual rental won’t have a blockbuster July. What it has instead is twelve predictable checks, one tenant, minimal turnover, and a fraction of the operating expense. You’re not buying towels or booking cleaners every Saturday. Your vacancy risk is one move-out a year, not fifty check-outs. For an owner who wants steady, mostly hands-off income — especially an out-of-state owner who can’t pop over to handle a busted AC on a holiday weekend — that predictability is often worth more than a higher gross with a lower, bumpier net.
Don’t overlook Myrtle Beach’s changing rules
Here’s a wrinkle a lot of owners miss: the local regulatory picture is shifting, and it can affect your options either way. Myrtle Beach has enacted an ordinance restricting certain oceanfront short-term-rental buildings from converting to long-term use — an overlay covering roughly 114 city blocks east of Kings Highway — specifically to protect visitor lodging and tax revenue. Depending on where your property sits and how it’s zoned, your ability to switch strategies may not be as open as you’d assume in either direction. Rules like these change, and they vary block by block, so confirm your property’s specific situation before you commit. (We’re happy to help you read the map, but this isn’t formal legal advice.)
So which makes more money?
The truthful answer: it depends on your property, your location, your appetite for work and risk, and how you value your own time. A well-located, well-run STR at the top of its class can out-earn a long-term lease. But the median STR, after real costs and slow-season gaps, often nets less than owners expect — while a long-term rental delivers a smaller but far steadier, lower-stress return. If you’re managing from out of state, tired of turnovers, or just want to stop thinking about your calendar, the annual-rental math usually looks better than the headline suggests. We dig deeper into that switch in our guide on converting a vacation rental to an annual rental.
The takeaway
Chase the gross number and you can end up working harder for less. The right question isn’t “which has the bigger top line?” — it’s “which nets more, with less stress, for my property?” That’s a math problem worth doing carefully, with real numbers for your address.
If you’d like a straight, no-pressure read on what your specific Myrtle Beach property could earn as an annual rental — and how that stacks up against the short-term route — we’ll run the numbers with you. Request your free property evaluation and we’ll pick up the phone. Around here, our management fees are simple and transparent, and we’ll tell you honestly which path fits your goals.
By The Beach Properties is a licensed South Carolina brokerage and local property management company serving the Myrtle Beach and Grand Strand area. Market figures and regulations referenced here are current as of publication and change over time; confirm specifics for your property and situation.