Every CHC home covered in this guide has its own private porch or patio. Pool House also opens onto a shared courtyard garden with a heated saltwater pool. Outdoor space is the detail most rental listings describe least clearly, so this guide names what each home actually has.
Most rental listings treat outdoor space as a photo rather than a fact. You see a chair on a porch and you find out on arrival whether that porch is yours, shared, or the neighbor's. This guide is the version we would want if we were booking.
Everything below comes from our own property pages, checked on September 28, 2026.
What Counts as Outdoor Space in a Charleston Rental?
Four things, and they are not interchangeable. Knowing which one a listing means is most of the decision.
| Type | What it means here |
|---|---|
| Porch | A covered outdoor space attached to the home, usually at the entrance or along one side. Private to that home unless the listing says otherwise |
| Piazza | The Charleston version of a side porch. The City of Charleston calls it a building feature unique to and closely identified with the city |
| Patio | A ground-level paved space, sometimes covered, usually just outside the door |
| Courtyard | An enclosed garden space between or behind buildings. In Charleston a courtyard is often shared between several units, so this is the one to ask about |
Which CHC Homes Have Private Outdoor Space?
All nine listings covered here do. This is what each one has, and whether it belongs to that home alone.
| Home | Outdoor space | What is out there | Private to the home |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Charles | Private patio at the entrance | Built-in seating and a bistro table | Yes |
| Pool House | Opens onto the courtyard garden | Koi pond, lounge chairs, exterior dining table | No. The courtyard is shared |
| 179 St. Philip D | Private porch | Seating for three | Yes |
| 3 Tully | Private porch, plus a covered patio | Piazza entrance on the second floor, courtyard reached through a downstairs bedroom | Yes |
| 33 B Cannon | Private porch | Outdoor seating | Yes |
| 179 St. Philip E | Private porch | Seating | Yes |
| 118 President A | Private porch | Outdoor seating | Yes, to that unit |
| 118 President B | Private porch | Sun deck with loungers and outdoor dining | Yes, to that unit |
| 118 President, entire home | A private porch on each floor | Sun deck with loungers and outdoor dining | Yes |
If outdoor space is the reason you are booking, tell us when you inquire and we will point you at the right one rather than the nearest available.
What Is a Piazza, and Why Does Charleston Have So Many?
A piazza is a long side porch, closely associated with Charleston's traditional architecture. The City of Charleston describes the Charleston piazza and porch as a building feature unique to and closely identified with the architectural history and urban character of the city, and as a transitioning space between the interior and its surrounding urban environment. The city calls it a feature of the Charleston single house.
It is worth knowing the word because Charleston listings use it without explaining it. At 3 Tully, for example, guests enter from the piazza on the second floor, which is the normal arrangement in a house built this way and a surprise if you are expecting a front door at street level.
Is the Courtyard Garden Shared or Private?
Shared. The courtyard at Pool House, and the heated saltwater pool in it, are shared with the neighboring units. We would rather say that here than let you discover it on arrival.
That is not a drawback so much as a different thing. A shared courtyard is bigger and better planted than a private patio usually is, and it is looked after by the same team you are renting from. What it is not is somewhere you will have entirely to yourself.
How Do You Choose Between a Porch, a Patio and a Courtyard?
Start with how you want to use it, not how it looks in the photo.
For morning coffee and a quiet hour, a private porch is the one. Every home in the collection has one, so this is the easiest requirement to meet.
For eating outside, you want a table, not just chairs. 2 Charles has a bistro table on its patio, and the courtyard at Pool House has an exterior dining table.
For a group that wants several private outdoor areas, 118 President as the entire home has a private porch on each of its two floors, plus a sun deck with loungers and outdoor dining. The entire home sleeps sixteen.
For garden surroundings rather than a deck, the courtyard at Pool House is the one, as long as sharing it is fine.
FAQs
The homes in this guide do. Each one has its own private porch or patio, named on its property page. Outdoor space varies a lot across Charleston rentals generally, so check the individual listing rather than assuming a porch comes with the booking.
118 President as the entire home. It has a private porch on each of its two floors, plus a sun deck with loungers and outdoor dining. The entire home sleeps sixteen, so a group can be outside together rather than split across two units.
No. The courtyard and its heated saltwater pool are shared, and Pool House says so on its own page. You get the courtyard, but so do the neighboring units. The porch and patio spaces at the other homes in this guide are private to that home.
A long side porch closely associated with Charleston's traditional architecture. The City of Charleston calls it a building feature unique to and closely identified with the city, and a transitioning space between the interior and its surrounding urban environment. It is a feature of the Charleston single house.
At several. 2 Charles has a bistro table on its private patio, 3 Tully seats six indoors with a covered patio outside, and the courtyard at Pool House has an exterior dining table. Check the property page for the home you are booking.
Planning a Charleston Stay?
Tell us your dates, your group size, and whether outdoor space is a must-have rather than a nice-to-have. We will tell you which homes are open and what is actually outside the door at each one.
Check availability or call 843.329.2040 or email bookings@chcvacationrentals.com