Skip to content
Oakclause

Rental Application Fee Laws in South Carolina

South Carolina has no statewide statute that caps rental application or screening fees, requires a refund, or addresses reusable screening reports.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

South Carolina at a glance

Fee limit
No statewide limit
The South Carolina Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (S.C. Code 27-40) has no application or screening fee rule.
Refund required
No refund rule
Portable screening report rule
Not addressed

Sources

Last checked

The rules in South Carolina

How much can a landlord charge for a rental application in South Carolina?

Fee limit in South Carolina: No statewide limit. The South Carolina Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (S.C. Code 27-40) has no application or screening fee rule.

Does a landlord in South Carolina have to refund an unused application fee?

No refund rule. Refund required in South Carolina: no refund rule.

Does South Carolina law address reusable (portable) tenant screening reports?

Not addressed. Portable screening report rule in South Carolina: not addressed.

Where do the South Carolina rental application fee laws come from?

The rules above come from S.C. Code 27-40-10 et seq.. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

What this means in practice

Before collecting a fee, landlords can tell applicants in writing how much it is, what it pays for, and the screening criteria that will be used. Several statutes require some of this disclosure, and it also reduces disputes when an application is denied.

Keep a copy of the invoice or receipt from the screening company. Where the law ties the fee to actual cost or requires an itemized receipt, that record shows the fee was lawful.

Check local law as well as state law. In many states a city or county ordinance can set a lower limit or add refund and notice rules, and the stricter rule usually applies. A few states bar local rules on application fees.

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