Short Term Rental
Management

Surge offers local full service vacation rental management for busy vacation rental owners and Airbnb hosts in Judson, South Carolina

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Judson, South Carolina Short Term Rental Overview

Airbnb Market
Judson, South Carolina presents an exceptional short-term rental investment opportunity driven by its strategic proximity to Greenville's booming metropolitan area and the region's rapidly expanding tourism infrastructure. Property owners can capitalize on occupancy rates averaging 65-75% annually, with daily rates ranging from $120-180 depending on property size and amenities, translating to potential gross revenues of $28,000-48,000 per year for well-positioned properties. The market benefits from Judson's unique position as a gateway to the Blue Ridge Mountains while maintaining easy access to Greenville's corporate corridor, attracting both leisure travelers seeking outdoor recreation and business professionals requiring extended stays. Recent data indicates a 23% year-over-year increase in short-term rental demand in the greater Greenville County area, with Judson specifically experiencing limited inventory competition—creating an undersupplied market where quality properties command premium pricing. The area's growing reputation as a craft beer and outdoor adventure destination, combined with South Carolina's favorable tax environment for rental income and relatively low property acquisition costs compared to coastal markets, positions property owners to achieve net yields of 12-18% annually while building long-term equity in an appreciating real estate market.
Short Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rental regulations in Judson, South Carolina, operate under a complex web of local zoning ordinances, state tax requirements, and municipal permitting processes that can change without warning, leaving property owners vulnerable to hefty fines, legal action, and forced closure of their rental operations if they fail to maintain proper compliance. The intricate requirements often include business licenses, occupancy permits, safety inspections, tax registrations with both local and state authorities, and adherence to specific zoning restrictions that may limit rental duration, guest capacity, or operational hours—all of which require ongoing monitoring and renewal to avoid costly violations. However, when you partner with a professional short-term rental management service, you can rest assured that all licensing requirements, tax obligations, permit renewals, and legal compliance issues are handled expertly on your behalf, allowing you to enjoy the income from your property while eliminating the stress and risk of navigating the ever-changing regulatory landscape alone.
Occupancy Rates
Airbnb occupancy rates in Judson, South Carolina typically peak during late spring through early fall (May through September) when visitors flock to nearby Lake Hartwell for boating, fishing, and water sports, with summer months of June, July, and August seeing the highest demand and occupancy rates often exceeding 75-80%. The shoulder seasons of March-April and October-November experience moderate occupancy around 50-60% as weather remains pleasant for outdoor activities but water-based recreation becomes less appealing, while winter months (December through February) represent the slowest period with occupancy rates dropping to 30-40% due to limited lake activities and cooler temperatures. Professional revenue management becomes crucial in this market through implementing dynamic pricing strategies that maximize rates during peak summer weekends and holiday periods while offering competitive pricing during slower months to attract extended stays, business travelers, and off-season visitors, ensuring properties maintain consistent cash flow year-round rather than relying solely on the high-demand summer season that characterizes this lake-centric tourism market.
Vacation Rental Management
Self-managing a vacation rental in Judson, South Carolina presents formidable operational challenges that can quickly overwhelm property owners and devastate their investment returns. The relentless cycle of guest turnover demands precise coordination of cleaning crews, maintenance teams, and supply restocking within impossibly tight windows between bookings, often complicated by Judson's rural location and limited service provider availability. Managing 24/7 guest communication becomes a nightmare when dealing with everything from late-night lockout emergencies to complaints about the area's occasional power outages or well water issues, requiring immediate responses that can interrupt family time, vacations, and sleep for months on end. Maintenance challenges are particularly acute in Judson's humid climate where HVAC systems work overtime, septic systems require specialized local knowledge, and the area's aging infrastructure can cause unexpected plumbing or electrical failures that demand immediate professional attention to prevent negative reviews. Without full-service property management handling these complex logistics, coordinating reliable local vendors, and maintaining the rapid response times that today's vacation rental guests expect, even minor operational hiccups quickly spiral into scathing reviews that destroy your property's 5-star rating and eliminate the passive income potential that makes vacation rental investment worthwhile in this increasingly competitive market.
Attractions and Amenities
Judson, South Carolina attracts visitors primarily to Table Rock State Park with its challenging hiking trails and scenic overlooks, the Blue Ridge Mountains region for outdoor recreation and nature photography, nearby Caesars Head State Park for waterfall viewing and bird watching, and the greater Greenville area's downtown attractions within a 30-minute drive. To maximize revenue from guests visiting these specific destinations, properties must offer essential amenities including secure storage for hiking gear and backpacks, outdoor equipment cleaning stations, early breakfast options or grab-and-go meals for dawn hikers, high-speed Wi-Fi for uploading nature photography and staying connected during extended outdoor stays, hot tubs or spa services for post-hiking recovery, detailed local trail maps and park information, picnic supplies and cooler rentals for day trips, and flexible check-in/check-out times to accommodate varying park hours and hiking schedules. Properties should also provide mudroom areas or boot cleaning stations, laundry facilities for extended outdoor enthusiasts, and partnerships with local outfitters for equipment rental, as guests specifically choose this area for its proximity to premier hiking and natural attractions rather than urban amenities.

Why choose Surge?

Surge is local Airbnb management that’s reliable, affordable and the best for your property.
Cost
Guest communications
Host Communications
Insurance
Contract
Cost
Starting at 15% fee
Guest communications
Guest response within 10 minutes, 24 hours a day
Host Communications
Designated host call in phone line
Insurance
Full damage protection for every reservation
Contract
No annual agreements
Other Property Mangers
Cost
25-40% fee
Guest communications
Sporadic guest communications
Host Communications
Bot response assistants
Insurance
Unreliable insurance coverage
Contract
Contract lock-ins

Understand Your STR Income

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Surge is geared towards maximizing potential

Be at ease with the knowledge that your vacation rental is being optimized to its fullest potential.
30%
In gross revenue
150 M
Potential guests
4.9
Superhost status
7+
Booking platforms
1
Property manager
The house was great. It accommodated our large group nicely. The owner was responsive and checked in on us throughout the trip. The gate around the home added privacy and security. The beds were comfortable as well. Extra linen, towels and washcloths. We are looking to book this home in the future!
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
Head of Design, Layers
We really appreciated Surge. He was responsive, attentive, and went above to make sure our stay was seamless. You can tell he takes pride in providing a clean/organized place. Everyone loved the pool table and shuffleboard. This place is also very close to great restaurants. The place we went to had the best catfish. Would definitely rent from Surge again!!
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
Head of Design, Layers
Our group really enjoyed our long weekend stay here! The property was very clean and spacious but also provided some privacy to accommodate our large family. Surge was responsive when we reached out to them and also accommodated an early check-in. We felt secure given that the property was gated and had smart locks on both entry doors. We strongly recommend this property and would love to stay here again!
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
Head of Design, Layers
My family and I were here for my daughter’s graduation from UofH. Surge was very upfront, kept us informed and accommodating. The place was clean and fit my entire family comfortably. We have already made plans to come back. Great location, private and safe environment. Would highly recommend! Thank you Surge for making this stay memorable and stress free for our family!
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
Head of Design, Layers
Great stay that accommodated all our needs for a successful for trip to Houston, i hope to Book in the coming future.
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
Head of Design, Layers
The host was great, he responded quickly when needed and checked in on us from time to time throughout the whole day. He was awesome and the place was great for my family of 16. Definitely will book with him in the future.
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
Head of Design, Layers

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know about the product and billing.
Does Surge Property Management allow pets in its short term rentals?
Surge Property Management leaves that decision to the property owner. While allowing pets can be a big perk for some guests, Surge does not have any requirements for the property owner to allow it. Service animals are a different case. Surge is prohibited to refuse a reservation, charge pet fees, hold guests to different rules, apply differential treatment or use discriminatory language if a guest is accompanied by a service animal. A guests service animal must not be out of control, un-housebroken, left alone at the listing without prior approval, allowed into areas that are considered unauthorized by the guest and allowed in a public space without being harnessed, leashed, or tethered and not under the guests control.
Do I get access to an owner portal?
Surge Property Management has a tech leading owner portal to keep its property owners in the loop, instead of on the outside looking in. In the owner portal you can reserve days for personal use, see pending reservations, nightly pricing rates, owner statements, expense receipts, guest messaging and more!
Do you screen the guests that are staying in my property?
Our intelligent Guest Screening technology allows us to screen vacation rental guests before they enter your property, making it easier to keep bad guests out. We proactively assess the risk posed by each guest, through legal, non-discriminatory checks. Guests will be asked to submit some personal details including their name, date of birth, physical home address and contact details. We then verify by having the guest take a live selfie and submit a photo of their ID(either a drivers license or passport). This information will then be processed to determine the true identity of your guest, including whether the ID is fraudulent and if the provided details match those on the ID. This process will generate a risk report for us to review before the guest arrives.
Do you provide insurance for guest damages?
We partner with the premier provider of short term rental protection also offering guest screening and comprehensive insurance coverage. Our partner brings confidence and peace of mind to both Surge Property Management and its clients(homeowners). Our third party partner has protected over 60 billion in homeowner liability coverage and 1 million guest nights. Ask your Surge sales representative for more details.
What happens if there is guest damage to my property?
Each guest is required to make a $500 security deposit. Any damage above $500 we are able to document, submit, and follow a claim through on your behalf with our short term rental insurance partner covering up to $5,000,000.
How does Surge compare to a national provider like Vacasa?
While both Surge and Vacasa both have a full service model designed to be hands off from the property owner, Surge stands out above the rest by being more intentional and selective with the properties we decide to accept into our management portfolio. This allows us to give the required attention to the properties we manage instead of just "setting it and forgetting it" like the other property managers do. Once you go onboard with them you just become another number.
Does Surge handle the maintenance of the vacation rental?
Yes, Surge is able to handle any property maintenance(including hot tub & pool) for your property. We have a large network of service providers, additionally, if you have a preferred vendor we can assign and coordinate maintenance with them as well.
What services does Surge Property Management offer?

Surge is a full-service property manager and provides the following service to property owners:

  • Listing creating and management across multiple channels
  • Calendar management
  • Cleaning
  • Laundry
  • Restocking
  • Maintenance
  • Dynamic Pricing
  • Lock automation
  • Guest Portal
  • Owners Portal
  • Listing optimization
  • Photography
  • 24/7 guest communication
  • Check-in/out support
  • and more!
Is Surge Property Management a Superhost on Airbnb?
Yes, Surge Property Management is a Superhost on AirBNB. Airbnb defines a Superhost as a Host who goes above and beyond to provide excellent hospitality. Guests can easily identify a Superhost from the badge that appears on their Airbnb listing and profile. Superhosts have more visibility and earning potential.
How and when do I get paid?
Surge Property Management initiates ACH payment to its property owners once a month by the 10th day of the next month. Along with the ACH deposit sent to you, you also receive a highly detailed statement for review.
Are there any hidden fees?
Surge Property Management has the most transparent pricing in the industry. Our property owners are our Partners in business which is why we hold transparency at a very high standard. With your monthly statements you will be able to trace every dollar from when the guest paid for their reservation to when it was deposited into your bank account. Contact your Surge sales rep for a personal walk through of our statement structure.
Can I still use my property?
Yes of course. The biggest perk of a vacation rental is still retaining personal use of the property for your personal use. Inside of our Owner’s Portal you can reserve days for personal use.
How do you market my property?

We list your property on the major platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, Google Vacation rentals and more! We also allow direct bookings very popular among returning guests. Our integration technology is second to none and was awarded the following:

  • Airbnb Preferred + Software Partner
  • VRBO Elite Partner
  • Booking.com Premier Connectivity Partner
How do you handle complaints or disputes?
We aim to resolve issues quickly and fairly, protecting both the guests and the property owner’s interests. We mediate disputes and ensure a smooth resolution process.
How do I get started with your service?
Contact us to schedule a consultation. We'll discuss your property, our services, and how we can help you achieve your rental goals.
How do you handle waste management?
We coordinate with local services to ensure proper waste disposal and recycling, maintaining cleanliness and environmental responsibility.
What safety measures do you implement?
We ensure the property has functional smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, and complies with all local safety regulations.
What does Surge’s full service property management mean?
Surge's comprehensive property management service allows property owners to be completely hands-off with the daily operations of their Airbnb properties. Surge takes care of all the daily tasks, including listings, guest interactions, cleanings, restocking, and maintenance, ensuring a stress-free experience for the property owner.

Still have questions?

Can’t find the answer you’re looking for? Please chat to our friendly team.
Get in touch
(713) 853-9573