South Carolina security deposit rules.
The South Carolina rules for residential security deposits in plain English: how much can be charged, how fast it comes back, whether interest is owed, and what catches operators out.
Last reviewed · Statute: S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-410 · Not legal advice
How much can be charged
No statutory limit on the deposit amount.
When it has to come back
Within 30 days after termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession and demand by the tenant, whichever is later, with itemised written notice of deductions.
Interest
No interest is required.
Where the money has to sit
No segregation requirement.
What catches operators out
- Landlords renting more than four adjoining units who set deposits differently must post or give each tenant a written statement of how deposits are set; otherwise the excess over the lowest comparable deposit cannot be used for damage deductions.
- Failure to return within 30 days: the tenant may recover three times the amount wrongfully withheld plus reasonable attorney’s fees. No bad-faith element is required.
What this looks like with Standby in South Carolina.
When a resident takes a Standby certificate there is no cash deposit to hold, so the cap, the return deadline and the interest rules above have nothing to attach to. You are covered up to the full deposit and draw on it when you need to.
When a resident pays cash instead, Standby handles that deposit under your lease and South Carolina law, so your team is not tracking return deadlines by hand.
This page summarises the most common single-family and multifamily residential rule in South Carolina. Furnished units, senior leases, mobile-home tenancies and short-term rentals can differ, and city ordinances may override the state default. Check the statute before relying on a figure for a specific lease.