Property management laws and regulations in South Carolina - 2026

Misapplying the layered state laws governing rental property in South Carolina can expose owners and managers to licensing fines and tenant-damage awards, whether the property is a duplex in Greenville or a client's portfolio in Charleston. Get the licensing rules wrong and you face administrative fines up to $10,000 per violation; mishandle a security deposit and a tenant can recover three times the amount withheld plus attorney's fees. This guide covers what each statute requires and who needs a license. It also identifies violations that can trigger $10,000 fines or treble damages, with some conduct leading to criminal charges.

Overview of South Carolina property management laws

South Carolina property management laws sit in five main places in the state code. The 2024 General Assembly last amended Title 40, Chapter 57, which governs licensing for property managers, through Act No. 204 (H.4754), effective May 21, 2024. Lawmakers have enacted no 2026 amendments as of this writing. The South Carolina Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Title 27, Chapter 40) sets the rights and duties between landlords and tenants. Title 27, Chapter 37 covers ejectment, the state's formal term for eviction, while Title 31, Chapter 21 is the SC Fair Housing Law. HOA governance falls under Title 27, Chapter 30.

Which of these apply to you depends on your role. A self-managing owner answers to the Landlord and Tenant Act and the ejectment statutes. Fair housing law also applies, but the licensing chapter does not. A third-party manager answers to all of them. If you're new to the state's rules, start with the state laws that govern becoming a landlord here, then build your property management practices around the statutory requirements below.

Who needs a property management license in South Carolina?

You need a license if you manage rental property for someone else and receive compensation. Under SC Code § 40-57-30(29), the property manager definition covers anyone who, for pay, negotiates or attempts to negotiate the rental or leasing of real estate. It also covers anyone who lists or offers to list rental property and provides a service in connection with leasing, or who advertises to the public as doing those things. Acting without an active license is unlawful under § 40-57-20. Lapsed and canceled licenses don't count, and neither do inactive licenses.

Owners are exempt. Section 40-57-240(1) lets an unlicensed owner sell, lease, or rent property in which the owner directly or indirectly holds an interest. That exemption does not extend to your employees: there is no employee exemption from licensing, even for staff of the property owner. Unlicensed employees working for an owner or under a licensee's supervision are limited to a narrow set of tasks, including:

• Maintenance, plus clerical and administrative support
• Collecting rents payable to the owner
• Showing rental units and furnishing published information
• Providing application and lease forms, then receiving completed ones for submission to the owner or licensee

They may not negotiate or explain management agreements. They also may not discuss those agreements, take compensation based solely on real estate activity (including percentage commissions), or negotiate management or referral fees.

The penalty structure for unlicensed practice stacks several mechanisms. The Commission states administrative penalties are "separate from and in addition to all other remedies, either civil or criminal":

• Mechanism | Authority | Maximum penalty
• Administrative citation, first violation | § 40-57-725 | $500
• Second similar violation within 5 years | § 40-57-725 | $1,000
• Third or subsequent within 5 years | § 40-57-725 | $10,000
• Civil fine per violation (ALC) | § 40-1-210 / § 40-57-790 | $10,000 per violation
• Misdemeanor, general unlicensed practice | § 40-1-200 | $50,000 fine or 1 year imprisonment
• Misdemeanor, practicing on a lapsed license | § 40-57-780 | $500 fine or 6 months, or both

In FY26, the Commission received 841 complaints and opened 341 investigations, averaging 106 business days each. Its stated policy is to issue cease-and-desist orders against unlicensed individuals who advertise real property interests publicly with the expectation of compensation.

Property manager vs. property manager-in-charge: key differences

South Carolina splits property management licensure into two tiers. A licensed property manager-in-charge (PMIC) or broker-in-charge must supervise every property management office. An active property manager may work under only one PMIC or BIC at a time, so the supervisory chain is exclusive as well as mandatory.

The licenses differ as follows:

• Requirement | Property manager | Property manager-in-charge
• Minimum age | 18 | 21
• Prerequisite | High school diploma or recognized equivalency | Active SC property manager license (or broker/BIC license)
• Coursework | 30-hour Commission-approved property management course | Additional 7-hour PMIC course in property management accounting and record-keeping
• Biennial license fee | $125 initial; $55 renewal | $250; $75 per office renewal

The PMIC controls the firm's trust account and bears responsibility for its records. Under § 40-57-135(A)(7), the PMIC must establish and maintain control of and responsibility for the firm's trust account whenever the firm holds funds belonging to others. If you plan to run your own management firm rather than work under someone else's supervision, the PMIC tier is the one you need.

How to get a South Carolina property management license

The path runs through education and an exam, followed by a background check and fees in a specific order. Under § 40-57-510 you must be at least 18 and hold a high school diploma or equivalency. You must also complete 30 hours of Commission-approved classroom instruction in property management principles and practices. This pre-licensing education qualifies you to sit for the PSI property manager licensing examination. A juris doctor or bachelor of law can substitute for the 30-hour course. A baccalaureate or master's degree with a major in real estate or housing can also substitute.

The Commission cannot accept your background check if you submit it before your application:

1. Complete the application paperwork and have a notary notarize pages 5 and 6. You pay a $25 application fee.
2. Submit through the online portal with payment. Your application remains valid for one year.
3. Wait 48 hours after LLR's email notification for PSI to import your exam authorization. Then schedule and pass the PSI licensing exam for property managers. The exam costs $63, paid to PSI, and your payment remains valid for one year with unlimited retakes in that window.
4. After submitting the application, follow the portal's criminal history reporting steps. You must complete a SLED state fingerprint check and an FBI national fingerprint check at your expense. You also need a Social Security number-based check from an approved source. IdentoGO by IDEMIA handles fingerprinting, and you need a service code from the Commission before scheduling. Allow three or more weeks for results.
5. After passing the exam, complete the Supervision Attestation. The Commission invoices the $125 initial license fee and issues the license 3 to 5 business days after payment.

The Commission requires you to disclose any prior criminal conviction or licensing sanction on the application. You must also disclose any adverse credit item. One caveat on fees: LLR marked the fee schedule PDF "Rev. 2/20," so confirm the $25 application and $125 license figures with the Commission before you budget. LLR's current renewal FAQ confirms the renewal fees.

South Carolina Real Estate Commission oversight

The Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation houses the South Carolina Real Estate Commission (SCREC), which controls licensing and discipline. It also oversees trust account compliance for property managers. The Commission inspects each registered office on a three-year cycle, but that rotation is not a safe harbor: an inspection that reveals commingling or other egregious violations triggers an immediate complaint rather than waiting for the next scheduled visit. The Commission publishes disciplinary orders through its public orders portal, which listed multiple respondents in 2025 and 2026, so anyone can check whether the Commission sanctioned a manager before hiring one.

Continuing education and license renewal

Unlike salespersons and brokers, active property managers and PMIC licensees do not need continuing education. The pre-licensing education they completed to obtain their licenses ends the formal coursework requirement, with no ongoing CE obligation once licensed. Renewal is biennial, due June 30 of the expiry year, at $55 for a property manager and $75 per office for a PMIC. If you do not renew a license by June 30, it lapses automatically, and the Commission can sanction anyone who continues practicing for unlicensed practice.

Late renewal between July 1 and December 31 costs the base fee plus $15 per lapsed month. You then have 24 months from expiration to reinstate. After that, the Commission cancels the license, and you start over with a new paper application under current requirements. Reactivating from inactive status also requires a fresh background check if you have not completed one since 2021.

Trust accounts and escrow: rules for handling client funds

Every dollar of tenant and owner money a PMIC holds must sit in a dedicated trust account. The statute defines two ways managers go wrong. Commingling is mixing the licensee's funds with those held in trust for another. Conversion, defined at § 40-57-30(12), is using trust funds for a purpose other than the purpose for which they are held, and the statute states flatly that conversion "is a breach of trust and is a crime as provided by law."

Section 40-57-136 sets the mechanics. The PMIC must use a demand deposit account titled to include the word "trust" or "escrow" in the brokerage firm's name at an insured financial institution authorized to do business in South Carolina. Section 40-57-136 allows the firm to keep only a clearly identified amount in the account to cover bank service charges or keep the account open when no client funds are on deposit. The following-business-day and 48-hour deadlines apply:

• A licensee who receives trust funds must deliver them to the PMIC no later than the following business day.
• The PMIC must deposit cash or certified rental funds within 48 hours of receipt, excluding weekends and bank holidays. The PMIC must deposit checks within 48 hours after the lease is signed.
• The PMIC must keep security deposits and pet deposits in the trust account. Damage deposits and advance rentals must also remain there until the lease expires or terminates. The PMIC must then disburse the funds per the contract with a full accounting to the landlord or tenant.

Managers must retain records required under § 40-57-136(F) for at least five years and produce them to a Commission representative on request.

• Required record | What it must show
• Receipts-and-disbursements journal | Chronological entries with a running balance
• Property management journal | Property management activity
• Tenant and owner records | A separate record for each tenant and an owner's ledger for each owner
• Deposit documents | The tenant associated with each deposit
• General ledger | Security deposits
• Monthly reconciliation worksheet | The bank balance, journal balance, and ledger total

Managers who use computerized records must store backup copies off-site. Building these checks into how you audit property practices each month is far cheaper than reconstructing five years of records during an inspection.

The Commission's own trust account guidelines call borrowing from the trust account for business expenses "the most serious violation a BIC/PMIC can commit." Beyond administrative fines and license revocation, which carries a three-year bar on reapplying, § 16-13-230 prosecutes conversion as breach of trust with fraudulent intent. For property valued at $2,000 or less, the offense is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine or 30 days in jail, or both. Amounts above $2,000 but below $10,000 can bring up to five years, while amounts of $10,000 or more can bring up to 10 years. Prosecutors use that statute. In December 2024, authorities charged a former property manager at the Attwood Point apartments in Florence with breach of trust with fraudulent intent greater than $10,000 over tenant rent payments totaling $11,154.

South Carolina landlord-tenant law: rights and responsibilities

The South Carolina Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Title 27, Chapter 40) assigns duties to both sides. Understanding tenant rights under the Act is as important as knowing your own obligations. The core duties break down like this:

• Landlord must | Tenant must
• Comply with building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety (§ 27-40-440(a)(1)) | Pay rent when due; nonpayment triggers the 5-day notice under § 27-40-710(B)
• Make repairs and keep the premises fit and habitable (§ 27-40-440(a)(2)) | Meet the maintenance obligations of § 27-40-510; deposit deductions hinge on this section
• Keep common areas reasonably safe, and reasonably clean in buildings of more than four units (§ 27-40-440(a)(3)) | Not unreasonably withhold consent to reasonable landlord entry (§ 27-40-530(a))
• Make running water, hot water, and heat available at all times, with narrow exceptions (§ 27-40-440(a)(4)) | Not change locks without landlord permission (§ 27-40-530(e))
• Maintain supplied electrical, gas, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning facilities and appliances in good and safe working order (§ 27-40-440(a)(5)) | Provide a written forwarding address at move-out to preserve the treble-damages deposit remedy (§ 27-40-410)

Landlord maintenance duties and habitability standards

The Act defines "essential services" at § 27-40-210 as sanitary plumbing or sewer service and electricity. The term also includes gas where used for heat, hot water, or cooking, along with running water and reasonable amounts of hot water and heat. The Act presumes that the landlord supplied appliances present in the unit unless the rental agreement specifically excludes them. The rental agreement may not exclude any appliance or facility necessary to provide essential services. Where the building code imposes a greater duty than the Act, the code controls.

Landlords and tenants cannot waive these duties. Section 27-40-340 bars any rental agreement that permits receipt of rent without the § 27-40-440(a) obligations, and § 27-40-330 voids clauses waiving tenant remedies or limiting landlord liability. Deliberate use of a prohibited clause costs up to the security deposit plus attorney's fees; malicious use costs up to three months' rent plus fees. There is a legitimate carve-out for single-family homes: § 27-40-440(c) lets the parties agree in writing, in good faith, that the tenant will handle specified repairs.

A tenant can terminate on 14 days' written notice for a material health-and-safety breach under § 27-40-610. The tenant can also recover actual damages and obtain injunctive relief without posting bond. If the noncompliance was willful, the tenant can collect attorney's fees. Unlawful ouster or willfully cutting essential services under § 27-40-660 costs the greater of three months' rent or twice actual damages, plus fees. Staying ahead of repairs also helps maintain property values and supports tenant retention, which matters more to cash flow than any single repair bill.

Landlord right of entry and notice requirements

Section 27-40-530 requires 24 hours' advance notice and entry only at reasonable times. Tenants cannot unreasonably refuse entry for inspections or repairs. They also cannot unreasonably refuse entry for agreed improvements, necessary services, or showings to prospective purchasers, mortgagees, tenants, or contractors. Landlords cannot use access rights to harass. The following exceptions let you skip the 24-hour notice:

• Emergencies, at any time. The statute counts prospective weather changes that pose a likelihood of danger to the property, along with fires and broken pipes.
• Regularly scheduled periodic services such as filter changes and pest treatment, between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. This exception applies only if the rental agreement conspicuously sets out the right and you announce your intent to enter.
• Tenant-requested services, between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., with announced intent.

Beyond those, entry requires a court order or the health-and-safety cure procedure of § 27-40-720. Law enforcement accompaniment for ejectment service and abandonment also provide grounds for entry. Following the notice rules costs nothing and protects tenant relationships that unannounced visits reliably damage.

Lease agreement types and requirements

The Act applies to residential lease agreements regardless of form. Landlords and managers gain practical advantages from written leases because they document terms the statute requires or recognizes. A written rental agreement with the conspicuous statutory "5-day notice" clause eliminates the need for a separate written notice before filing for eviction over nonpayment. Written rental agreements also document appliance exclusions and entry rights. They can document the repair-shifting agreements the Act only honors when properly set out.

Good faith runs through the Act's permitted agreements: the parties must enter repair-shifting deals under § 27-40-440(c) and (d) in good faith and not to evade the landlord's obligations. For managers, the writing requirement is stricter still. A brokerage firm must manage real estate under a written management agreement that identifies the parties and property. The agreement must also state the compensation. The SC Supreme Court held in Waldo v. Cousins (May 2024) that the Real Estate License Law forbids oral or implied agency agreements. The law makes residential management agreements running longer than one year unenforceable if they run with the land or allow assignment without owner consent. Agreements that create a lien are also unenforceable, and the law treats them as bad faith.

Tenant rent withholding and repair-deduction rights

South Carolina gives tenants no general repair-and-deduct right, and § 27-40-630 says so directly: tenants "may not authorize repairs to the property and deduct the repair cost from rent." The one exception covers essential services. If a landlord negligently or willfully fails to provide sanitary plumbing or electricity, the exception applies. It also covers a failure to provide gas, running water, hot water, or heat. After written notice and the landlord's failure to act within a reasonable time, the tenant may procure those services and deduct their actual and reasonable cost from rent. Alternatively, the tenant may recover damages based on the diminished fair-market rental value plus attorney's fees.

For other material breaches, the tenant's remedies under § 27-40-610 are the 14-day termination notice and actual damages. The tenant can also seek injunctive relief in magistrate's or circuit court. A tenant who withholds rent outside these channels risks a 5-day nonpayment notice and ejectment.

Security deposit rules in South Carolina

Section 27-40-410 gives you 30 days to return the deposit, counted from the later of tenancy termination and delivery of possession. If the tenant makes a demand after both events, the demand sets the deadline. Deductions are limited to accrued rent and damages caused by the tenant's noncompliance with the § 27-40-510 maintenance obligations, and you must itemize every deduction in writing within the same 30-day window. What counts as a legitimate security deposit deduction versus normal wear and tear is where most disputes start.

Miss the deadline or skip the itemization and the tenant may recover three times the amount wrongfully withheld plus reasonable attorney's fees, in either magistrate or circuit court. The treble-damages remedy has one limit: a tenant who never provided a written forwarding address loses it, provided you had no notice of the tenant's whereabouts and mailed the notice and any amount due to the last known address.

Two provisions affect multi-property operators. If you rent more than four adjoining units and apply different deposit standards to different tenants, you must post a conspicuous statement on the premises or give each prospective tenant the standards in writing before signing; failure reduces your deduction rights by the excess deposit amount. The section also binds whoever holds the landlord's interest when the tenancy ends, so buying an occupied property means inheriting its deposit obligations.

The eviction process in South Carolina

South Carolina law permits ejectment under § 27-37-10(A) when a tenant fails or refuses to pay rent when due or demanded. Expiration of the term also permits ejectment, as does a violation of lease terms. Self-help is off the table. Section 27-40-760 bars taking possession outside abandonment or surrender. It also bars taking possession outside termination or the statutory process. Section 27-37-160 gives wrongfully dispossessed tenants a damages action, and the SC Justice Project puts it plainly: "The only person who can legally remove a tenant from a rental unit is a law enforcement officer, following a writ signed by a judge." The eviction process starts with notice, and the required period depends on the situation:

• Situation | Required notice | Statute
• Nonpayment of rent | 5 days' written notice of nonpayment and intent to terminate; waived if the written lease contains the conspicuous statutory 5-day notice clause | § 27-40-710(B)
• Material lease violation (non-rent) | 14 days' written notice specifying the breach, with opportunity to cure | § 27-40-710(A)
• Terminating a week-to-week tenancy | At least 7 days | § 27-40-770(a)
• Terminating a month-to-month tenancy | At least 30 days | § 27-40-770(b)

One nonpayment notice per lease term is enough; after giving it once, you need not repeat it for later missed payments. Serving proper written notice in the correct form is the step most often botched, and a defective notice restarts the clock. Holdover tenants carry their own exposure under § 27-40-770(c): bad-faith holdover costs the tenant your attorney's fees, and willful holdover costs the greater of three months' rent or twice actual damages, plus fees.

Magistrate court ejectment procedure

Once the notice period runs, the case moves to magistrate court. You file an Application for Ejectment (form SCCA/732) identifying the parties and property. The application also identifies the grounds and tenancy documentation. The magistrate issues a written rule requiring the tenant to vacate or show cause within 10 days after service (§ 27-37-20). Service follows summons rules. If two personal attempts fail, separated by at least 48 hours and made at times at least 8 hours apart, the serving officer may affix the rule to the premises and mail it. The tenant's 10-day period starts on the eleventh day after mailing.

What happens next depends on whether the tenant responds. If the tenant fails to appear within 10 days, the magistrate issues a warrant of ejectment, and the constable or sheriff removes the tenant. If the tenant contests, the magistrate hears the case as an ordinary civil matter. Either party may demand a jury and must submit the written request at least 5 business days before the scheduled hearing. A landlord verdict requires the magistrate to issue a writ of ejectment within 5 days (§ 27-37-100). Rent keeps accruing throughout, and accepting accrued rent does not waive the ejectment or renew the tenancy (§ 27-37-60).

Law enforcement executes the writ. The Writ of Ejectment (SCCA/734) directs the officer to give occupants 24 hours to vacate voluntarily. After that, only a deputy sheriff may enter, using the least destructive force necessary. The Sheriff's Department will not move the tenant's belongings; you must supply adequate labor, while deputies remain present only to keep the set-out peaceful. Officers have discretion to grant a delay for ill or elderly tenants. Appeals go to circuit court, generally within 30 days of written notice of judgment, but an appeal alone does not stop the ejectment. The tenant must post an appeal bond, in an amount set by the magistrate, within 5 days after serving the notice of appeal.

Property abandonment rules

Abandonment lets you skip the ejectment process, but the statute defines it narrowly. Under § 27-40-730(a), an unexplained absence of 15 days after default in rent payment constitutes abandonment; both the default and the absence are required. If the tenant voluntarily terminates the utilities and remains absent after a rent default, abandonment is immediate, and the 15-day rule does not apply. Taking possession after abandonment is not an eviction, and § 27-40-760 permits repossession. You must then make reasonable efforts to re-rent at a fair rental; re-renting before the original lease expires terminates the old agreement as of the new tenancy date.

Left-behind belongings follow two tracks. You may enter and dispose of the property directly only when the unit is abandoned or the lease has ended. The tenant must also have removed a substantial portion of belongings or permanently cut utilities, and the property's fair-market value must be $500 or less. If it turns out to exceed $500, the law protects you from liability absent gross negligence. Everything else requires the formal ejectment procedure. After an eviction set-out, municipal or county officials must remove property placed on a public street within 48 hours, excluding weekends and holidays. If they don't collect it, you may dispose of it as ordinary trash.

Fair housing compliance for South Carolina property managers

The SC Fair Housing Law (Title 31, Chapter 21) protects the same seven classes as the federal Fair Housing Act. Those classes include race and color, as well as religion and sex. The law also covers national origin, handicap, and familial status. South Carolina adds no state-level classes, so state or federal law does not protect source of income, including Section 8 vouchers. The same is true for sexual orientation and gender identity. Age and veteran status also lack state or federal protection, though some local jurisdictions may have broader ordinances. Sound fair housing practices cover advertising and screening. They also cover lease enforcement, because § 31-21-40 prohibits far more than refusing to rent:

• Refusing to negotiate or otherwise making a dwelling unavailable because of a protected class
• Imposing different terms or conditions, including different privileges such as application fees, deposits, or lease terms
• Publishing any notice or advertisement indicating a preference, limitation, or discrimination
• Misrepresenting a unit's availability
• Blockbusting

Disability rules affect tenant screening and lease administration in specific ways. You may not refuse reasonable modifications made at the tenant's expense, though you can condition permission on interior restoration at move-out. You also may not refuse reasonable accommodations in rules and policies, such as waiving a pet deposit for a service or support animal. For emotional support animal requests, § 31-21-70(N) permits exactly two questions. You may ask whether the person has a disability substantially limiting a major life activity and whether there is a disability-related need for the animal. Landlords may request supporting documentation. Covered multifamily buildings of four or more units carry design-and-construction accessibility requirements, and separate accessibility obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act can apply as well.

The law exempts owner-occupied buildings of four or fewer units. It also exempts private sales or rentals by owners of no more than three single-family houses when they proceed without a broker or discriminatory ads. Qualifying 55+ communities receive an exemption from familial status requirements only. You may screen out applicants convicted of illegally manufacturing or distributing a controlled substance and deny housing where occupancy would pose a direct threat to health, safety, or property. You may also apply reasonable occupancy standards tied to sleeping areas and unit size. The SC Human Affairs Commission handles enforcement, and complainants must file within 180 days. Tenants can alternatively sue within one year, with remedies including actual and punitive damages. Courts may also award court costs and attorney's fees.

HOA and community association management laws in South Carolina

South Carolina requires no separate license for community association managers. The South Carolina Homeowners Association Act (Title 27, Chapter 30) defines "Homeowners association management company" but attaches no licensing or registration requirement to it. It also imposes no examination or certification requirement. The state is not among the seven that license CAMs (Alaska, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, and Virginia, per CAI's 2025 report), and a 2011 bill proposing CAM certification never passed.

The Department of Consumer Affairs receives HOA complaints, but the law expressly bars it from regulating HOA administration or governance. It also cannot regulate governing documents. The Real Estate Commission's FAQ states, "No, the Commission does not have jurisdiction over HOAs."

The exemption ends where rental activity begins. The property manager license definition at § 40-57-30(29) focuses on negotiating, listing, or advertising rentals for compensation, so a CAM who starts leasing individual units for owners steps into Title 40, Chapter 57 territory and needs a license. Management companies also cannot drift into legal work. In Rogers Townsend & Thomas, P.C. v. Peck, a South Carolina court held that community management companies engaged in the unauthorized practice of law by representing HOAs in magistrate's court and filing judgments. The companies also prepared and recorded lien documents and advertised legal services. Day to day, an HOA's authority still comes from its governing documents, so managers should work from the covenants and bylaws rather than assumed powers.

How Steadily protects South Carolina landlords

Every statute above creates financial exposure the law won't absorb for you. That exposure can take the form of a habitability claim with attorney's fees or months of lost rent during a contested ejectment. It can also arise when a tenant's bathtub overflow ruins two floors. A standard homeowners' policy typically stops covering these risks the moment a renter occupies the property. Landlord insurance coverage is built for them.

Steadily writes DP1 and DP2 landlord policies in South Carolina and all 49 other states. It also offers DP3 forms. Subject to the policy's terms and exclusions, the DP3 open-peril form covers fire and water damage from burst pipes. It also covers storm and hail, along with wind and vandalism. Burglary is covered as well.

The essential types of coverage work together. Dwelling coverage protects the structure. Liability insurance provides from $100,000 to $1 million or more per occurrence. If a covered event makes the unit uninhabitable, loss of rental income covers up to 12 months of fair rental value. Exclusions are plain: flood and earthquake are out. Intentional tenant damage and normal wear and tear are also out.

The national average premium runs about $1,478 per year. Raising your deductible from $1,000 to $5,000 trims premiums roughly 12 to 15%, a straightforward lever for cost efficiency across a portfolio. Steadily's quoting system auto-populates construction data from public records. You can quote and bind inside Roofstock or TurboTenant if you already use either platform. The same option is available through BiggerPockets. Get a quote in minutes at quote.steadily.com, no phone call required.

FAQ

Do I need a license to manage rental properties in South Carolina?

Yes, if you manage for someone else and get paid for it. Negotiating, listing, or advertising rentals for compensation requires a property manager license under SC Code Title 40, Chapter 57. Unlicensed practice can draw administrative citations and civil fines of $10,000 per violation. It can also lead to misdemeanor charges.

Can I manage my own rental property without a license?

Yes. Section 40-57-240(1) exempts owners renting property in which they hold a direct or indirect interest. Your unlicensed employees, however, are restricted to tasks like maintenance and showing units. They may also collect rent payable to you.

What is the difference between a property manager and a property manager-in-charge?

A property manager must be at least 18 and complete a 30-hour course plus the PSI exam. The manager must work under supervision. A PMIC must be at least 21 and complete an additional 7-hour accounting and record-keeping course. The PMIC pays a $250 biennial fee, supervises an office, and bears personal responsibility for its trust account. Every property management office needs a PMIC or broker-in-charge at the top.

What are a landlord's main obligations under the South Carolina Residential Landlord and Tenant Act?

Section 27-40-440(a) requires code compliance and fit, habitable premises. It also requires safe common areas and running water. Landlords must provide hot water and heat at all times and maintain supplied facilities and appliances. A lease cannot waive these duties, and willful violations expose you to damages plus attorney's fees.

How long do I have to return a security deposit in South Carolina?

Thirty days from the later of tenancy termination and delivery of possession. A later tenant demand can set the deadline, and you must itemize any deductions in writing. Wrongful retention costs triple the amount withheld plus attorney's fees, unless the tenant never gave a forwarding address and you mailed the notice to the last known one.

What notice is required before filing an eviction?

Five days' written notice for nonpayment, unless the written lease contains the statutory 5-day clause. Other material violations require 14 days with a cure opportunity. You must give 7 days to end a week-to-week tenancy and 30 days for month-to-month. After notice, you file form SCCA/732 in magistrate court, and the tenant gets 10 days to respond. Only a law enforcement officer executing a writ can physically remove a tenant.

What are the trust account rules for South Carolina property managers?

A PMIC holding others' funds must keep a demand deposit account titled with "trust" or "escrow" at an insured South Carolina institution. The PMIC must deposit rental funds within 48 hours and keep deposits in trust until the lease ends. The PMIC must also retain records for five years and reconcile monthly. Converting trust funds is a crime under § 16-13-230, punishable by up to 10 years for amounts of $10,000 or more.

What fair housing laws apply to South Carolina rentals?

The SC Fair Housing Law and the federal Fair Housing Act both protect race and color, as well as religion and sex. They also protect national origin, handicap, and familial status. Complainants must go to the SC Human Affairs Commission within 180 days or to court within one year. Remedies include actual and punitive damages plus attorney's fees.