Security deposit return deadline in South Carolina
A South Carolina landlord has 30 days after the tenancy ends to return a security deposit or send a written list of what was kept.
- Deadline
- 30 days
- What the landlord must send
- Deductions must be itemized in a written notice with the amount due within 30 days after the tenancy ends and possession is delivered, or after the tenant’s demand, whichever is later.
- If the landlord gets it wrong
- The tenant can recover three times the amount wrongfully withheld plus attorney fees.
The tenant must give a forwarding address in writing.
The law
S.C. Code § 27-40-410. Read the statute.
Checked against the statute in October 2026. Laws change, so confirm the current rule before you rely on it.
What to do next
If the deadline has passed, or the landlord kept money without a proper list, put your request in writing. Ask for the deposit back by a specific date, and keep a copy. The free first letter in the Deposit Demand Letters kit does this for South Carolina, and the deadline calculator works out your exact date from your move-out day.
Other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
General information about South Carolina law, not legal advice, and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Deposit Demand Letters is a self-help template kit from Kits For That.