South Carolina Eviction Process: Notice Periods, Timeline & Tenant Defenses (2026)

How eviction works step by step, and what defenses you have at each stage

At a glance

• Notice required before filing: 5 or 14 or 30 days, depending on the grounds
• Court required: Yes — possession is recovered through court, not by self-help
• Governing statute: S.C. Code § 27-40-710(B)

Who this covers — and who it does not

This page covers the eviction process in South Carolina for a residential tenancy — the notices a landlord must serve, the timeline, and what you can do at each stage.

It does not cover commercial leases, or mobile home parks where a separate statute applies. Where a city has its own rules, those may differ from the state statute below.

What the statute actually says

S.C. Code § 27-40-710(B) — 欠租：租客到期未付且 5 天内不付，房东可终止租约（须给书面 nonpayment 通知，或租约含醒目 pay-or-quit 条款）。

南卡驱逐是司法驱逐（ejectment，仅法院 warrant 执行）。欠租 5 天；违约 14 天 cure（27-40-710(A)）；月租 30 天、周租 7 天（27-40-770）。

S.C. Code § 27-40-710(B) ↗

Notice periods by grounds

How the process runs, step by step

1. 房东送达通知（欠租 5 天 / 违约 14 天 / 月租 30 天） (from 欠租/违约/租期). 欠租 5 天、违约 14 天 cure、月租 30 天。
2. 房东向 magistrate court 提起 ejectment (from 通知期届满). 通知期届满未纠正，房东起诉；仅法院 warrant 执行。
3. 判决 + warrant of ejectment + sheriff 执行 (from 判决). 仅法院 warrant 由 sheriff 执行；房东不得自行移除。

Can the landlord use self-help?

南卡禁止自力救济：房东不得换锁、断水电或搬物；仅法院 warrant 由 sheriff 执行。

S.C. Code § 27-40-710 ↗

Common landlord claims and how to answer them

Remedies for an illegal eviction

非法自力救济的租客可追偿损害；报复性拒续租时房东 75 天内不得收回占有（27-40-910(g)）。

S.C. Code § 27-40-910(g) ↗

Sources and how to verify them

Every figure on this page comes from the official text or a state court opinion, not from a summary. The table below lists each provision used and the date it was last checked.

Statute	Last verified	Source
S.C. Code § 27-40-710(B)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
S.C. Code § 27-40-710(A)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
S.C. Code § 27-40-770	2026-10-16	official text ↗
S.C. Code § 27-40-710, 27-40-770	2026-10-16	official text ↗
S.C. Code § 27-37-10	2026-10-16	official text ↗
S.C. Code § 27-37-40	2026-10-16	official text ↗
S.C. Code § 27-40-710	2026-10-16	official text ↗
S.C. Code § 27-40-910(g)	2026-10-16	official text ↗

Where the official text and a secondary summary disagree, this page follows the official text and says so. Where a provision admits of more than one reading, that is flagged rather than smoothed over.

When you need a lawyer instead of a tool

A self-help guide is the right starting point for understanding your position. Get legal help if:

• You have received an eviction notice — the timeline is now court-driven
• The dispute involves discrimination, unsafe conditions or retaliation
• Your landlord has filed anything in court already
• You are unsure whether a local ordinance changes the state rule

Local legal aid organisations and tenant unions offer free help for qualifying cases. They are independent of this site — we list them because they are the right place to go, not because they link here.

More South Carolina guides

South Carolina Security Deposit Return · South Carolina Security Deposit Rules · South Carolina Rent Increase Rules · South Carolina Repairs & Habitability · South Carolina Landlord Retaliation

→ All South Carolina tenant rights topics

Common questions