‘We don’t have a neighborhood’: Residents feel outnumbered on this Hilton Head street
When John and Stephanie Brighton purchased their home on a shady road in South Forest Beach, they knew that new houses were going to be developed on their street.
If the new houses simply meant more neighbors to share friendly smiles with and help out from time to time, that wouldn’t have been an issue. Instead, developers clear-cut the forest and constructed three-story properties that were quickly listed on the short-term rental market.
The handful of permanent residents in the neighborhood have questions about the developments popping up in areas not zoned for commercial use.
“At what point does it turn into a commercial entity?” asked Mr. Brighton.
They’re not the only residents on Hilton Head who increasingly feel outnumbered by short-term rentals in their own neighborhoods. Residents in Palmetto Dunes, North Forest Beach and the Folly Field area have seen similar trends.
Tourism has long been the economic backbone of Hilton Head Island. But as the industry shifts towards short-term rentals and away from hotels and timeshares, many residents have found themselves outnumbered by short-term rentals in their own neighborhoods.
‘We don’t have a neighborhood’
For the Brightons, a neighborhood means living next to people who let you borrow a cup of sugar or whom you can trust to look after your cat when you’re away. But when your next-door neighbors are tourists, that means constantly living next to total strangers.
The constant turnover of renters feels like a disruption to the quiet, relaxed lifestyle they thought they were buying into. Three short-term rentals have been built across the street from the Brightons, and two more are under construction. Each has five, six, or seven bedrooms and can accommodate between 16 and 20 guests.
“We don’t have a neighborhood,” Mrs. Brighton said.
Most of the time, renters are “conscientious.” One weekend, however, a group of golfers renting the house next door acted less considerately: they were drunk, noisy, and made suggestive comments to the Brightons’ daughter.
“They’re asking my daughter come join them in the pool,” Mrs. Brighton said. “I don’t want to be on guard every day. Like, I don’t know who you guys are, but we’re not here for that.”
Parking has been a major issue for neighborhoods saturated with short-term rentals, with residents complaining about tourists taking up street parking. In response, the Town of Hilton Head introduced new administrative fines that punish short-term rentals owners if tenants are caught parking on the street or on the grass.
Mr. Brighton said the town has been “great” at enforcing parking, but their little cul-de-sac still gets easily congested.
Each rental accommodates five cars — two in the garage and three in the driveway — renters have to load and unload their cars in the cul-de-sac before squeezing their vehicles in the space. If the pool cleaner or an Amazon delivery van come at the same time, it’s “chaos,” said Mrs. Brighton.
How single-family areas became commercialized
Traditionally, commercial activity on Hilton Head has been restricted to areas zoned for commercial use. Developers can’t build hotels, condos, or apartment buildings in areas zoned for single-family homes.
According to the town’s zoning ordinance, the restrictions are “intended to discourage any use that would substantially interfere with the development of single-family dwellings or would be detrimental to the quiet residential nature of single-family neighborhoods.”
Yet as more and more consumers opt for the convenience of renting a home instead of a hotel, it’s opened to floodgates for any neighborhood in a prime location to become a hotbed for vacation rentals. Some gated communities place restrictions on the number of short-term rentals — and some ban them altogether — but residents outside the gates are left with little protection.
The town has taken steps in recent years to increase oversight of short-term rentals and mitigate some of the issues, such as parking and fire safety. But some residents want tighter rules, such as limiting the number of short-term rentals that can operate in a certain area, or placing restrictions on occupancy.
An overhaul of the town’s land management ordinance, which sets the island’s standards for development and land use, is underway. Future amendments could place new rules on short-term rentals, single-family dwellings, and tree protection.
‘Waking up in the fray’
The Brighton’s home, built in 1957, was part of a quiet neighborhood in South Forest Beach, with a few modest homes surrounded by dense forest.
Now, these quaint beach bungalows are outnumbered by brand-new three-story vacation homes. The neighborhood is a prime location for vacationers — just a five-minute walk from the beach and a quick bike ride away from the shops and restaurants in the Coligny area.
The convenience and charm of South Forest Beach is what originally drew the Brightons to move to the area after living in Ashton Cove for 24 years. The couple used to walk along Forest Beach and admire the atmosphere. It was a neighborhood where residents could enjoy peace and quiet at home, but take a walk to Coligny to “get into the fray” if they wanted to.
“Now we’re waking up in the fray,” Mr. Brighton remarked.
The Brightons emphasized they’re not opposed to tourism, or even short-term rentals. But they’re opposed to what they see as a rise in commercial activity in what was once a quiet residential neighborhood.
“There is a very fine line between encouraging economic development and destroying the character and integrity of the community,” Mr. Brighton said.
This story was originally published July 25, 2025 at 8:59 AM.
