Renters' Rights · Security Deposit
Security Deposit Laws in South Carolina
The most a landlord can charge, how long they have to return it, and what it costs them to keep your money without cause in South Carolina.
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What your landlord can hold, and when it's due back
Enter your rent for the South Carolina maximum, plus the return-deadline clock.
Estimate only, based on South Carolina's statutory cap. Your lease may set a lower deposit, and local ordinances can be stricter. Not legal advice.
The full rules, with the statute
Every requirement and where it comes from in the code.
Exceptions: Section 27-40-410 does not limit the size of a residential security deposit. A landlord and tenant may agree to any amount in the lease. One-to-two months of rent is common in practice, but that is custom, not a legal ceiling.
Penalties & recent changes
What happens if the landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully.
What South Carolina renters get wrong
South Carolina puts real teeth behind its deposit rules: if a landlord wrongfully keeps your money or skips the required written notice, you can recover three times the amount wrongfully withheld plus reasonable attorney fees under S.C. Code 27-40-410. The state also has an unusual disclosure rule. A landlord who rents more than four adjoining units on a property and charges different deposit amounts under different standards must, before you sign, either post those standards in a conspicuous place or hand you a written statement of them. Skip that step, and the landlord loses the right to deduct damages from the part of your deposit that exceeds the lowest deposit charged for a comparable unit. There is no cap on the deposit amount, so the figure is whatever the lease sets. The landlord has 30 days after you leave and return the unit to send back the deposit with any deductions itemized in writing. To start that clock and protect your rights, give the landlord a forwarding address in writing.
Common questions
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in South Carolina?
There is no legal limit. Section 27-40-410 does not cap the deposit, so the amount is whatever you and the landlord agree to in the lease. Charging one to two months of rent is common, but that is practice, not a rule.
How long does a landlord have to return my deposit in South Carolina?
Thirty days. The landlord must return the deposit, with any deductions itemized in writing, within 30 days after the tenancy ends and you hand back the unit, whichever is later. Give the landlord a written forwarding address so the notice and refund can reach you.
What can I do if my landlord wrongfully keeps my deposit in South Carolina?
If the landlord fails to return the deposit or send the required itemized notice, you can recover three times the amount wrongfully withheld plus reasonable attorney fees under S.C. Code 27-40-410. Keep your written forwarding address and any deduction notice as evidence.
Does a South Carolina landlord have to disclose how deposits are calculated?
Sometimes. If a landlord rents more than four adjoining units on the premises and uses different deposit standards for different tenants, they must post those standards conspicuously or give each prospective tenant a written statement before the lease is signed. If they do not, they cannot deduct damages from the amount by which your deposit exceeds the lowest deposit charged for a comparable unit.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.