South Carolina security deposit law

Security Deposit Laws in South Carolina: What Your Landlord Can and Cannot Keep

Your landlord has 30 days under South Carolina law to return your security deposit, or you may be owed more than what they withheld. If they keep more than they're legally allowed, you can dispute it.

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South Carolina security deposit return timeline

Deadline to return

30 days

Statute

S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-410(a) (30-day itemized notice and forwarding-address condition); § 27-40-410(b) (treble penalty)

30 days measured from the LATEST of three events: termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession, AND demand by the tenant. The tenant's DEMAND is an operative statutory trigger, so a demand letter may be what starts the clock rather than what enforces an expired one. Any deduction must be itemized in a written notice to the tenant together with the amount due. FORFEITURE TRAP FOR TENANTS: the tenant SHALL provide the landlord in writing with a forwarding or new address. If the tenant fails to do so, the tenant is NOT ENTITLED TO DAMAGES under this subsection, provided the landlord (1) had no notice of the tenant's whereabouts and (2) mailed the written notice and any amount due to the tenant's last known address. Screen for a written forwarding address before asserting the 3x claim.

What can a landlord legally deduct in South Carolina?

Allowed

  • ✓Accrued unpaid rent
  • ✓Damages the landlord has suffered by reason of the tenant's noncompliance with S.C. Code § 27-40-510

Not allowed

  • ✗Normal wear and tear

What if your landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully in South Carolina?

Verbatim from § 27-40-410(b): if the landlord fails to return any prepaid rent or security deposit with the notice required by subsection (a), the tenant may recover the property and money in an amount equal to THREE TIMES the amount wrongfully withheld and reasonable attorney's fees. CONFIRMED BY READING THE TEXT: there is NO willfulness element — the remedy turns on failure to comply, not landlord intent. But it is defeated by the tenant's own failure to give a written forwarding address under the (a) proviso. Separately, § 27-40-410(c): a landlord renting more than four adjoining units who applies different deposit standards to different tenants must post or provide a statement of those standards before the rental agreement; failure means the difference between this tenant's deposit and the lowest deposit required of any comparable unit is not subject to damage deductions.

How TenantNex helps

  1. 1. Tell us your move-out date, deposit amount, and landlord's address — two minutes.
  2. 2. We generate a demand letter citing S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-410(a) (30-day itemized notice and forwarding-address condition); § 27-40-410(b) (treble penalty) and your exact deadline.
  3. 3. We mail it to your landlord via USPS Certified Mail with return receipt.
  4. 4. You track delivery on your case page, with day-7 and day-14 follow-up.

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South Carolina tenant rights resources

Every fact on this page is verified against South Carolina's official statutory text as of 2026-09-04. TenantNex prepares legal correspondence as a document preparation service, not as your attorney. For complex disputes, consult a licensed attorney in South Carolina.

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TenantNex is a document preparation and delivery service, not a law firm. We prepare and send correspondence using publicly available state statutes. We do not provide legal advice, legal representation, or guarantee any outcome. For complex legal matters, consult a licensed attorney in your state.