Locksmith Services in Myrtle Beach, SC

Homes and locks in Myrtle Beach

Census estimates (ACS 2024 5-year) count about 24,400 housing units in the city. Only about 38 percent are detached single-family houses, while about 21 percent sit in buildings with 20 or more units. The median home was built in 1994.

About 4,200 units, roughly one in six, sit vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use, and renters occupy about 40 percent of occupied homes. Homes passed between owners, managers, cleaners and guests collect loose key copies. Lock rekeying at each change of owner or manager makes those copies useless without replacing the hardware.

Neighborhoods include Market Common, Grande Dunes, The Dunes, Pine Lakes, Withers Swash, Myrtle Heights, Ocean Forest, Arcadian Shores and Booker T. Washington. Market Common sits on the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, which closed on March 31, 1993. By 2013 the base's 3,937 acres held more than 1,200 homes.

Businesses and buildings

Broadway at the Beach covers 350 acres along the US 17 Bypass and is the largest festival entertainment complex in South Carolina. Coastal Grand Mall, opened in 2004, is the state's second-largest indoor mall, and the oceanfront Boardwalk opened in 2010.

Tenants there should check the lease before changing a storefront cylinder, since entries and service corridors may belong to the landlord. See commercial locksmith services.

Car trouble in Myrtle Beach

The city charges for metered parking from 9 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, from March 1 through September 30. Meters cover beach accesses and street ends citywide, plus streets between Ocean Boulevard and Kings Highway from 29th Avenue South to 67th Avenue North.

If your keys are locked inside a car in a metered space, the meter keeps running. Meters and pay stations take coins and cards; drivers can also use the Park-Mobile app or Text-2-Park (text the zone number to 25023). Unpaid time draws a citation, and the fine rises if it stays unpaid for 30 days. For a car lockout, give the avenue number or beach access.

Local rules worth knowing

Short-term rentals. The city's Planning and Zoning Department says most residential neighborhoods are not zoned for short-term rentals, meaning stays of less than 90 days under city and state law. The state accommodations tax draws the same line: lodging supplied to one person for 90 continuous days is not treated as proceeds from transients (S.C. Code § 12-36-920(A)). Among zones beginning with "R", only the RMV (Residential Multifamily Visitor) zone allows short-term rentals, and 24 houses in traditional residential zones are grandfathered. Violations are misdemeanors carrying, on conviction, a fine and/or up to 30 days per occurrence. Check the zone before planning a guest keypad or smart lock installation.

Hurricane re-entry. Hazel, in 1954, was the worst hurricane in the city's history. Horry County reopens evacuated areas in three levels, and residents return at Level III. Their identification may include a government-issued photo ID showing the property's location. Out-of-state owners must show a government-issued photo ID plus a current document such as a utility bill, deed or property tax bill. Seasonal owners should keep those papers with a spare key, not inside the house.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Requesting service in Myrtle Beach

Give the neighborhood or avenue number and say whether you are east or west of Kings Highway. In a building of 20 or more units, name the building, the unit and who controls lobby and garage access. South Carolina Locksmith Pros takes service requests from homes, businesses and drivers in Myrtle Beach. See house lockout or the South Carolina page.