South Carolina Landlord Repair Duties & Habitability Rights (2026)

What a landlord must fix, and your options when they do not

At a glance

• Core duty: S.C. Code § 27-40-440 — 房东义务：遵守影响健康安全的建筑/住房法规、保持 fit and habitable、common area 安全清洁、供水/热水/供热、维护水电暖 HVAC 电梯家电。
• Notice before acting: 27-40-610：租客书面通知后，房东须在 14 天内修复（健康安全违规须更快）；未修复租客可终止租约。
• Governing authority: S.C. Code § 27-40-440

Who this covers — and who it does not

This page covers the landlord's duty to maintain a habitable home in South Carolina, and what you can do when repairs go unmade.

It does not cover commercial leases, or conditions you caused yourself (which are treated differently).

The landlord's duty

S.C. Code § 27-40-440 — 房东义务：遵守影响健康安全的建筑/住房法规、保持 fit and habitable、common area 安全清洁、供水/热水/供热、维护水电暖 HVAC 电梯家电。

S.C. Code § 27-40-440 ↗

What the duty covers in practice

Notice and time to cure

27-40-610：租客书面通知后，房东须在 14 天内修复（健康安全违规须更快）；未修复租客可终止租约。

S.C. Code § 27-40-610 ↗

Your remedies when repairs go unmade

Landlord entry rules

房东进入须至少 24 小时预先通知，紧急情况除外（27-40-530）。

S.C. Code § 27-40-530 ↗

When the duty does not apply

缺陷系租客或其同意的他人造成的，房东无义务。

S.C. Code § 27-40-440 ↗

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 § 27-40-440	2026-10-16	official text ↗
S.C. Code § 27-40-440(a)(1)-(3)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
S.C. Code § 27-40-440(a)(4)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
S.C. Code § 27-40-440(a)(5)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
S.C. Code § 27-40-610	2026-10-16	official text ↗
S.C. Code § 27-40-630	2026-10-16	official text ↗
S.C. Code § 27-40-640	2026-10-16	official text ↗
S.C. Code § 27-40-530	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 Eviction Process · South Carolina Rent Increase Rules · South Carolina Landlord Retaliation

→ All South Carolina tenant rights topics

Common questions