South Carolina: Security Deposit Return Deadlines & Deductions

Requirements one by one

Governing law

South Carolina's security deposit rule is a single section of the South Carolina Residential Landlord and Tenant Act: S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-410.

Deadline to return the deposit

The 30-day period runs from whichever of three events happens last: "within thirty days after termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession and demand by the tenant, whichever is later" (§ 27-40-410(a)). That third trigger — your own demand for the deposit back — is easy to overlook: even after you've moved out and the lease has ended, the clock doesn't start until you've actually asked for your money.

Itemized statement required?

Yes, whenever any amount is withheld: the landlord must send a written notice itemizing the deduction along with any balance due, on the same 30-day deadline. You need to give the landlord a forwarding address in writing; if you don't, the landlord is off the hook for damages under this subsection as long as the landlord had no other way to reach you and mailed the notice and any payment to your last known address.

What can be deducted

Only two things: accrued (unpaid) rent, and "damages which the landlord has suffered by reason of the tenant's noncompliance with Section 27-40-510" — the chapter's list of tenant duties, which include keeping the unit reasonably clean and code-compliant and not "deliberately or negligently" destroying, defacing, damaging, or impairing the premises. Notice what's missing: South Carolina's statute never uses the phrase "normal wear and tear" anywhere in the chapter. The practical effect is similar — ordinary deterioration from intended use isn't a breach of § 27-40-510 — but the legal hook is your own duty of care, not a separate wear-and-tear standard.

Maximum deposit amount

None. South Carolina doesn't cap the deposit amount at all. A related rule does apply to bigger landlords: if a landlord rents more than four adjoining units and charges different tenants different deposit amounts under different standards, the landlord has to post or disclose those standards in writing before the lease starts. Skip that disclosure, and the landlord loses the right to deduct for damages out of whatever part of your deposit exceeds the lowest deposit charged to a comparable unit on the same property.

Interest on the deposit?

No. South Carolina's statute doesn't require interest on a held deposit.

Penalty for a late/bad-faith withholding

If the landlord fails to return the deposit or prepaid rent along with the required notice, the tenant "may recover the property and money in an amount equal to three times the amount wrongfully withheld and reasonable attorney's fees" (§ 27-40-410(b)). Notably, the statute's own text doesn't condition this on a separate showing of bad faith — a missed deadline or notice failure alone is what triggers the treble-damages exposure.

Separate account or bond required?

No. The statute defines a security deposit as money "held in trust by the landlord" (§ 27-40-40(18)), but that's a description of whose money it stays, not an affirmative duty to keep it in a segregated account, an interest-bearing account, or a bond.

What trips people up

The 30-day clock needs your demand, not just your move-out, to start running. If you never formally asked for the deposit back — in writing, ideally — the deadline may not have started at all, even months after you've vacated.

"Normal wear and tear" isn't the legal test here — your own statutory duty of care is. Deductions trace back to whether you breached § 27-40-510 (deliberately or negligently damaging the unit, or failing to keep it reasonably clean), not to a separate wear-and-tear standard used in many other states.

A landlord managing more than four adjoining units who charges tenants different deposit amounts has to disclose the reason why. If that landlord skipped the disclosure, part of your deposit may be off-limits for damage deductions entirely, regardless of actual damage.

Common questions

Do I have to send a written demand before the 30-day clock starts? Yes — the statute's return deadline runs from the latest of termination, possession delivery, and your demand, so sending a clear written demand (and a forwarding address) as soon as you move out is the surest way to start the clock immediately.

Can my landlord charge me for a dirty stove or worn carpet? Only if that condition resulted from your own deliberate or negligent conduct under § 27-40-510 — ordinary use and aging aren't covered, even though the statute doesn't use the words "wear and tear" to say so.

What if my landlord never sent me anything at all? That's a straightforward violation of § 27-40-410(a)'s notice requirement, and § 27-40-410(b) lets you recover three times whatever was wrongfully withheld plus attorney's fees.

Statutes and sources

• S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-410(a) — 30-day (latest-of-three-triggers) return and itemization requirement.
  https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t27c040.php (accessed 2026-07-06)
• S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-410(b) — 3x treble-damages penalty plus attorney's fees.
  https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t27c040.php (accessed 2026-07-06)
• S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-410(c) — disclosure duty for landlords using inconsistent deposit standards across 4+ adjoining units.
  https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t27c040.php (accessed 2026-07-06)
• S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-510 — tenant's statutory duties that define what counts as deductible damage.
  https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t27c040.php (accessed 2026-07-06)
• S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-40(18) — statutory definition of "security deposit" as held in trust.
  https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t27c040.php (accessed 2026-07-06)