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Free South Carolina Cash
for Keys Agreement Template

Last reviewed September 2026

Written by LawLease Editorial

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South Carolina Cash for Keys Agreement

This Cash for Keys Agreement is built with South Carolina as the governing state. These are the South Carolina landlord-tenant rules that most often bear on it, with the statute for each.

South Carolina rules at a glance

South Carolina rules for a Cash for Keys Agreement
Security deposit limitNo statutory capS.C. Code §27-40-410
Deposit return30 days after the later of termination, delivery of possession, or the tenant’s demandS.C. Code §27-40-410(a)
Deposit standardsLandlords with more than four adjoining units who vary deposits between tenants must disclose the standards used (§27-40-410(c)).
Month-to-month termination30 days’ written notice (7 days week-to-week)S.C. Code §27-40-770
Nonpayment eviction notice5 days — can be given once in the lease itselfS.C. Code §27-40-710(B)
Nonpayment of rentIf rent isn’t paid within 5 days of the due date, the landlord may terminate after written notice. That notice can be given once per lease — and it’s satisfied entirely by a conspicuous clause in the lease: “IF YOU DO NOT PAY YOUR RENT ON TIME. This is your notice. If you do not pay your rent within five days of the due date, the landlord can start to have you evicted. You will get no other notice as long as you live in this rental unit.” (§27-40-710(B)).

Security deposits in South Carolina

South Carolina puts no limit on the amount of a security deposit. The Act regulates how deductions are made and how quickly the money comes back (S.C. Code §27-40-410).

  • 30-day deadline — Any deduction must be itemized in a written notice sent with the balance due within 30 days after termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession and demand by the tenant, whichever is later (§27-40-410(a)).
  • Allowed deductions — Accrued rent, and damages the landlord suffers because the tenant failed to maintain the unit as §27-40-510 requires (§27-40-410(a)).
  • Forwarding address — The tenant must give a forwarding address in writing. A tenant who doesn’t can’t collect damages if the landlord had no notice of their whereabouts and mailed the notice and refund to the last known address (§27-40-410(a)).
  • Treble damages — A landlord who fails to return a deposit or prepaid rent as required can owe three times the amount wrongfully withheld, plus reasonable attorney’s fees (§27-40-410(b)).
  • Larger complexes — A landlord renting more than four adjoining units who uses different deposit standards for different tenants must post or hand out a statement of those standards before signing (§27-40-410(c)).

Ending a South Carolina tenancy

Notice to end a South Carolina periodic tenancy (S.C. Code §27-40-770)
Week-to-week7 days
Month-to-month30 days
  • Nonpayment of rent — If rent isn’t paid within 5 days of the due date, the landlord may terminate after written notice. That notice can be given once per lease — and it’s satisfied entirely by a conspicuous clause in the lease: “IF YOU DO NOT PAY YOUR RENT ON TIME. This is your notice. If you do not pay your rent within five days of the due date, the landlord can start to have you evicted. You will get no other notice as long as you live in this rental unit.” (§27-40-710(B)).
  • Lease violations — For other material noncompliance, a written notice specifying the breach and giving the tenant 14 days to remedy it before the lease terminates (§27-40-710(A)).
  • Holdover — A bad-faith holdover lets the landlord recover attorney’s fees; a willful one, up to three months’ rent or twice actual damages, whichever is greater (§27-40-770(c)).
  • Military — Servicemembers with qualifying orders may terminate early under the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. §3955).
  • Domestic abuse by a cotenant — Under Act 184 of 2026, a tenant who is a victim of domestic abuse by a cotenant on the same lease may end their future obligations under the lease by written notice, backed by a restraining order, protection order or conviction, within 60 days of the incident. Termination takes effect at least 30 days after the landlord receives the notice; the tenant owes rent through that date and any damage they caused, but no early-termination penalties or fees (§27-40-350).

Required disclosures in South Carolina

South Carolina has no statewide mold, bedbug or radon disclosure requirement for ordinary residential leases.

  • Owner / agent identity — At or before the start of the tenancy, the name and address of an owner or authorized agent for service of process and notices, kept current (S.C. Code §27-40-420).
  • Deposit standards — Landlords with more than four adjoining units who vary deposits between tenants must disclose the standards used (§27-40-410(c)).
  • Scheduled-service entry — If you want the right to enter for regular services without 24 hours’ notice, it must be conspicuously written into the lease (§27-40-530(b)(2)).
  • Lead-based paint — Federal warning and known-hazard disclosure for housing built before 1978 (42 U.S.C. §4852d).

South Carolina Cash for Keys Agreement FAQs

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in South Carolina?

There is no statutory limit — the lease sets the amount. The law instead governs deductions and the 30-day return deadline (S.C. Code §27-40-410).

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in South Carolina?

30 days after the later of the tenancy ending, the tenant moving out, or the tenant’s demand, with an itemized written notice of any deductions. A landlord who wrongfully withholds it can owe three times the amount withheld plus attorney’s fees (§27-40-410).

How much notice to end a month-to-month lease in South Carolina?

Thirty days’ written notice from either side; week-to-week tenancies need 7 days (§27-40-770).

What notice is required to evict for nonpayment in South Carolina?

Five days. If rent isn’t paid within 5 days of the due date, the landlord may terminate after written notice — and a conspicuous statutory clause in the lease counts as that notice for the whole tenancy, including a month-to-month holdover (§27-40-710(B)).

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