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Landlord Retaliation Laws in South Carolina

South Carolina bars a landlord from raising rent above fair market value, cutting essential services or bringing an eviction in retaliation for code complaints or complaints to the landlord; the statute sets no presumption period.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

South Carolina at a glance

Retaliation banned by statute
Yes
A retaliating landlord is liable for up to three months' rent or treble actual damages, whichever is greater, plus attorney fees.
Presumption period
No presumption period
S.C. Code 27-40-910 sets no time-based presumption. A tenant must give written notice of a retaliation defense within 10 days after service of the Rule to Vacate.
Protected tenant actions
Code complaints, complaints to landlord
Covers complaints to a code agency and complaints to the landlord about Landlord Tenant Act violations.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in South Carolina

Does South Carolina law prohibit landlord retaliation against tenants?

Yes. Retaliation banned by statute in South Carolina: yes. A retaliating landlord is liable for up to three months' rent or treble actual damages, whichever is greater, plus attorney fees.

How long after a tenant complaint is retaliation presumed in South Carolina?

Presumption period in South Carolina: No presumption period. S.C. Code 27-40-910 sets no time-based presumption. A tenant must give written notice of a retaliation defense within 10 days after service of the Rule to Vacate.

Which tenant actions are protected from retaliation in South Carolina?

Protected tenant actions in South Carolina: Code complaints, complaints to landlord. Covers complaints to a code agency and complaints to the landlord about Landlord Tenant Act violations.

Where do the South Carolina landlord retaliation laws come from?

The rules above come from S.C. Code 27-40-910. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

What this means in practice

Keep a written record of every complaint, repair request and report to a government agency, with dates. A presumption period usually runs from the date of the protected action, so proof of that date can matter.

Retaliation protection does not usually excuse unpaid rent or lease violations. Statutes commonly allow a landlord to raise rent, end a tenancy or evict for a good-faith reason, such as nonpayment, damage to the unit or a rent increase applied to all tenants.

If a rent increase, service cut or eviction notice follows a complaint, read the statute for your state and any local ordinance. Cities and counties may add protections, and a local legal aid office or tenant union can explain how they apply.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.