Last reviewed September 2026
Written by LawLease Editorial
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South Carolina Security Deposit Return Letter
When a tenancy ends, a South Carolina landlord has a set time to return the deposit or send an itemized list of deductions. Here’s what South Carolina’s statute says.
South Carolina rules at a glance
| Return deadline | 30 days. Any deduction must be itemized in a written notice sent with the balance within 30 days after termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession and demand by the tenant, whichever is later.S.C. Code §27-40-410(a) |
|---|---|
| Penalty | 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.S.C. Code §27-40-410(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)).
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 Security Deposit Return Letter 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).
More South Carolina landlord documents
- South Carolina Residential Lease Agreement
- South Carolina Eviction Notice
- South Carolina Rent Increase Notice
- South Carolina Notice to Vacate
- South Carolina Application Approval Letter
- South Carolina Application Denial Letter
- South Carolina Background & Credit Check Authorization
- South Carolina Rental Application
- South Carolina Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- South Carolina Bed Bug Addendum
- South Carolina Mold & Mildew Addendum
- South Carolina No-Smoking Addendum
- South Carolina Parking & Storage Addendum
- South Carolina HOA & Community Rules Addendum
- South Carolina Crime-Free Housing Addendum
- South Carolina Utilities & Services Addendum
- South Carolina Early Termination Addendum
- South Carolina Lease Extension Addendum
- South Carolina Lead-Based Paint Disclosure
- South Carolina Military Clause (SCRA)
- South Carolina Pet Addendum
- South Carolina Cash for Keys Agreement
- South Carolina Mutual Lease Termination Agreement
- South Carolina Lease Renewal Agreement
- South Carolina Notice of Non-Renewal
- South Carolina Late Rent Notice
- South Carolina Lease Violation Notice
- South Carolina Notice of Entry
- South Carolina Move-In / Move-Out Inspection Checklist
- South Carolina Rent Receipt
- South Carolina Rent Verification Letter
- South Carolina Tenant Welcome Letter
- South Carolina Property Management Agreement
- South Carolina Commercial Lease
- South Carolina Rent-to-Own Agreement
- South Carolina Short-Term Rental Agreement
- South Carolina Room Rental Agreement
- South Carolina Roommate Agreement
- South Carolina Spanish Lease Agreement
- South Carolina Sublease Agreement
- South Carolina Lease Amendment
Security Deposit Return Letter in other states
- Alabama Security Deposit Return Letter
- Alaska Security Deposit Return Letter
- Arizona Security Deposit Return Letter
- Arkansas Security Deposit Return Letter
- California Security Deposit Return Letter
- Colorado Security Deposit Return Letter
- Connecticut Security Deposit Return Letter
- Delaware Security Deposit Return Letter
- District of Columbia Security Deposit Return Letter
- Florida Security Deposit Return Letter
- Georgia Security Deposit Return Letter
- Hawaii Security Deposit Return Letter
- Idaho Security Deposit Return Letter
- Illinois Security Deposit Return Letter
- Indiana Security Deposit Return Letter
- Iowa Security Deposit Return Letter
- Kansas Security Deposit Return Letter
- Kentucky Security Deposit Return Letter
- Louisiana Security Deposit Return Letter
- Maine Security Deposit Return Letter
- Maryland Security Deposit Return Letter
- Massachusetts Security Deposit Return Letter
- Michigan Security Deposit Return Letter
- Minnesota Security Deposit Return Letter
- Mississippi Security Deposit Return Letter
- Missouri Security Deposit Return Letter
- Montana Security Deposit Return Letter
- Nebraska Security Deposit Return Letter
- Nevada Security Deposit Return Letter
- New Hampshire Security Deposit Return Letter
- New Jersey Security Deposit Return Letter
- New Mexico Security Deposit Return Letter
- New York Security Deposit Return Letter
- North Carolina Security Deposit Return Letter
- North Dakota Security Deposit Return Letter
- Ohio Security Deposit Return Letter
- Oklahoma Security Deposit Return Letter
- Oregon Security Deposit Return Letter
- Pennsylvania Security Deposit Return Letter
- Rhode Island Security Deposit Return Letter
- South Dakota Security Deposit Return Letter
- Tennessee Security Deposit Return Letter
- Texas Security Deposit Return Letter
- Utah Security Deposit Return Letter
- Vermont Security Deposit Return Letter
- Virginia Security Deposit Return Letter
- Washington Security Deposit Return Letter
- West Virginia Security Deposit Return Letter
- Wisconsin Security Deposit Return Letter
- Wyoming Security Deposit Return Letter
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