South Carolina security deposit law: know your rights.
Understand the return, deduction and notice rules in South Carolina. Check which conditions apply to your rental, then choose your next step.
Your deposit rights in South Carolina
- Return timing
- Within 30 days after termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession, or demand by the tenant, whichever comes last; give a written forwarding address - without one the landlord may mail to the last known address without further liability.
- Accounting for deductions
- Any deduction must be itemized in a written notice sent with the amount due within the 30-day window; deductions limited to accrued rent and damages from tenant noncompliance - the statute never mentions wear and tear, but because ordinary wear is neither accrued rent nor tenant noncompliance it falls outside the permitted deductions.
- Deposit interest
- The state deposit statute does not require interest. Check any additional lease or local rule.
Registry review: August 2026. Review dates refer to the cited rules, not an attorney review of your case.
Does this rule apply to your rental?
Check the type of tenancy, the lease and any local or housing-program rules before relying on the statewide summary.
S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-410 ↗What starts the return clock?
Within 30 days after termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession, or demand by the tenant, whichever comes last; give a written forwarding address - without one the landlord may mail to the last known address without further liability.
S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-410 ↗Check your return timing
Optional estimate from your move-out date. Read the start conditions above before treating that estimate as the return deadline. You can start the free analysis without completing this check.
Check what the landlord deducted
No statutory receipts requirement; only the itemized written notice. No interest owed and no separate account required.
Match each charge to the work alleged, the lease provision and the records supporting the amount. Keep refunds and charges you accept separate from those you dispute.
S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-410 ↗What could you recover?
Treble damages: the tenant may recover the property and money in an amount equal to 3x the amount wrongfully withheld, plus reasonable attorney's fees (§ 27-40-410(b)) - triggered by failure to return with the required notice, no express bad-faith element.
Start with the unpaid amount you dispute. Any additional statutory recovery depends on the conditions in S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-410(b), including applicable notice requirements. A multiplier that already includes the deposit should not be added to that deposit again.
S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-410 ↗Put the rules to work
See how the rules fit your deposit dispute
Free analysis
Add the refund, charges and records. Review the deductions and possible remedies with an explanation tied to your facts.
Full case package $29-$49
Turn your case into a demand letter, organized exhibits and a next-step plan. Review the analysis before deciding to buy.
Your entered dates and deposit amount carry forward. Additional timing details are saved in case notes. The next step asks for the refund and charges so you can build on this check.
Choose your next step
Small-claims limit: $7,500. Filing: $80 (incl. $10 service). The court guide explains the applicable limits and additional costs.
Questions about South Carolina deposit rights
How long does a South Carolina landlord have to return a security deposit?
Within 30 days after termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession, or demand by the tenant, whichever comes last; give a written forwarding address - without one the landlord may mail to the last known address without further liability.
S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-410 ↗See the timing rules →What happens if my landlord does not follow the deposit return rules in South Carolina?
Failure to return the deposit with the required itemized notice lets the tenant recover three times the amount wrongfully withheld plus attorney's fees (§ 27-40-410(b)). Keep proof of the dates, any refund, and the itemized statement.
S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-410 ↗Understand the possible recovery →What accounting should I ask for in South Carolina?
Any deduction must be itemized in a written notice sent with the amount due within the 30-day window; deductions limited to accrued rent and damages from tenant noncompliance - the statute never mentions wear and tear, but because ordinary wear is neither accrued rent nor tenant noncompliance it falls outside the permitted deductions. No statutory receipts requirement; only the itemized written notice. No interest owed and no separate account required.
S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-410 ↗