South Carolina Tenants

Get your security deposit back in South Carolina.

A professional demand letter citing South Carolina's security deposit statute (S.C. Code § 27-40-410), the 30-day return deadline, and the treble-damages penalty for wrongful withholding. Ready in minutes.

Generate my letter — $39One-time payment. No subscription.

Deadline

30 days

to return your deposit after move-out

Penalty

3× damages

for wrongful withholding, plus fees

Statute

§ 27-40-410

South Carolina Code

What South Carolina law actually says.

Under S.C. Code § 27-40-410, your landlord has 30 days after your tenancy ends to return your security deposit or provide a written, itemized list of deductions.

If the landlord wrongfully withholds your deposit or fails to provide the required written notice, you may recover:

  • Three times the amount wrongfully withheld
  • Reasonable attorney's fees

So a $1,500 deposit wrongfully withheld can support a court judgment of $4,500 plus fees. Most landlords settle quickly once they realize you know the law.

Good to know: South Carolina sets no deposit cap and requires no interest. If you do not provide a written forwarding address, the damages remedy can be lost where the landlord had no notice of your whereabouts and mailed to your last known address — so your letter supplies your address in writing.

What a South Carolina demand letter looks like.

Every letter follows the structure courts expect — your facts, the statute, a specific demand, and a deadline. Here's the skeleton; the generator fills the brackets from your answers and computes South Carolina's deadlines under § 27-40-410.

[Date]

[Your name]
[Your forwarding address]

[Landlord's name and address]

RE: Security Deposit — Formal Demand for Return of $[Amount]

I am the former tenant of [rental property address]. You accepted a security deposit of $[Amount], and my tenancy ended on [move-out date]. My forwarding address for return of the deposit is stated above, which I am providing to you in writing.

Under § 27-40-410, you were required to [return the deposit or provide an itemized statement] within [the statutory period]. That period has passed, and you have done neither. [The specific consequence South Carolina law attaches, cited by section.]

I demand return of $[Amount] no later than [deadline]. If I do not receive it, I am prepared to pursue all remedies available under [statute], including filing suit in the appropriate court.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

Common questions about South Carolina deposits.

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in South Carolina?

30 days after you move out.

What is the penalty if a South Carolina landlord wrongfully withholds a deposit?

A landlord who fails to return the deposit with the required notice is liable for the property or money due plus three times (treble) the amount wrongfully withheld, plus reasonable attorney fees, under § 27-40-410(b).

Which law covers security deposits in South Carolina?

S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-410. We verify these against the statute text itself; the date we last checked is shown on this page.

Sources & verification

The South Carolina rules on this page were verified against the statute text itself:

  • S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-410

Last verified against primary sources on .

How we verify this →

Laws change. If you spot something out of date, tell us at support@gettenantshield.com and we'll correct it.

What you get for $39.

A professional demand letter

Properly formatted, addressed to your landlord by name, citing the exact South Carolina statutes that apply to your situation.

Specific statute citations

S.C. Code § 27-40-410 and any others triggered by your circumstances — not generic legalese.

Calculated penalty math

The letter computes the exact dollar amount you're entitled to demand based on your deposit and the deductions at issue.

Ready-to-send PDF

Download instantly, print, sign, and send via USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt.

Ready to get your deposit back?

Most South Carolina landlords return the deposit within days of receiving a properly drafted demand letter.

Generate my letter — $39