Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) made up to $1 million per year renting out her massive, beachside South Carolina home.
According to her annual financial disclosure report filed in August, Mace brought in between $100,000-$1,000,000 in short-term rental income from the sprawling six-bedroom, five-bathroom Isle of Palms home.
Mace brought in the same range of short-term rental income in 2022, according to the previous year’s disclosure, though that form stated the income was earned across two South Carolina properties instead of one.
Charleston County property records confirm the house in question is owned by Brendan Bryant, Mace’s now ex-fiancé, and a woman listed as “N Ruth Mace.”
Ruth is Mace’s middle name. She previously listed a different VRBO rental under the name “Ruth M.”
According to the disclosure, the rental income from the home went to an LLC that is registered in Bryant’s name.
Mace purchased the home, which appears to be her main residence in her district, amid a heated congressional primary in 2022 for $3,900,000, according to Zillow.
The Post and Courier reported at the time that Mace made the move from Daniel Island in Charleston to the affluent Isle of Palms, where the median home listing price is $1.8 million.
The barrier island town is known for its seven miles of sandy beaches and boasts an array of resorts, spas, and golf clubs, making it a popular tourist destination.
Mace criticized the Post and Courier at the time for revealing the sale, saying it put her at risk, although the outlet did not publish her address.
Bryant and Mace called off their 18-month engagement in late 2023 and have since been sorting the two properties they purchased together—the house in South Carolina and a townhouse in D.C., according to the Daily Mail.
The Isle of Palms home was put up for sale in April 2024, according to Zillow, where it’s currently listed for $4,580,000.
The listing boasts that the property offers more than a dozen sets of French doors, a media room with built-in speakers and recliners, multiple walk-in closets, and a three-story elevator. It also includes a spiral staircase to a rooftop porch.
The nearly 4,000-square-foot house also includes an outdoor pool and a second-story porch with a wood-burning fireplace—just across the street from the Atlantic Ocean.
It does not appear that the Isle of Palms home has recently been used for short-term rentals, as the rental listings are no longer active.
It was previously listed on sites such as Hotels.com and Expedia through AvantStay, a short-term rental start-up that lists high-end homes as a counter to sites like Airbnb, providing a “first-class experience.”
AvantStay likewise no longer shows the home as available to rent, though comparable properties listed down the street go for over $30,000 per week during peak tourist season.
Similar rentals can go for $10,000 a week during the offseason.
While Mace and Bryant’s engagement ending seems to have spurred the sale of the house, a second property purchased together—the townhouse in D.C.—is not yet listed for sale.
Zillow shows that the home is currently listed for rent by Bryant. The description, however, notes that the “home is being listed for sale and may have occasional need for showings.”
That property has been subject to congressional scrutiny.
Earlier this year, Mace faced an ethics complaint over the D.C. home, which alleged she overcharged a reimbursement program for lawmakers’ housing expenses while simultaneously advertising the property on VRBO.
Her office denied to Punchbowl News that it misused the program, stating, “We follow all the rules for reimbursements and last year we were reimbursed less than what was allowed.”
As that complaint was specifically tied to a reimbursement program for lawmakers’ residences in D.C., it is unlikely that there are any ethical concerns over Mace earning some extra cash with her South Carolina home.
And Mace’s extra income is not unique among members of Congress.
A 2021 report from Business Insider found that more than 200 federal lawmakers were moonlighting as landlords. Currently, there is no cap on the amount of income a lawmaker may earn from a rental property.
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