City Spotlight: Columbia, SC

When Columbia, SC partnered with Tolemi, the city had 451 short-term rental (STR) registrations on the books. Columbia had recently lifted a moratorium on new STR applications that followed safety concerns about unregistered rentals, and officials needed a clearer picture of what was actually operating in the city.

Finding What the Registry Missed

Using BuildingBlocks, Tolemi identified 530 STR properties across Columbia, 79 more than the city's registry had captured. That gap represents properties earning revenue and avoiding fees while operating outside the city's rules.

With BuildingBlocks, Columbia's team can sort and analyze the STR landscape by listing date, last booking, rental type, booking frequency, and more.

Moving Registration Online

Columbia launched its new Slate-powered registration portal on June 1, 2026. In the first 22 days alone, the city received 92 applications and collected more than $9,500 in permit revenue, with renewals still to come on June 30.

Through Slate, operators can apply online, pay electronically, track their application status in real time, and look up their application history. Columbia replaced a manual, fragmented process with one place to manage the entire program.

Read the City of Columbia's announcement