Rental Property Rules in Columbia, SC (2026)
2 verified rental property rules for Columbia, South Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Rental Registration
Every residential rental unit in Columbia must hold a current city rental permit before an owner can lease it, under Sec. 5-326. Owners must certify the property meets minimum code, permits run on a calendar year, and operating unpermitted risks a summons plus code enforcement action.
Columbia Rental Property Permit Requirement
Significant RestrictionsColumbia, SC Code of Ordinances § 5-326
(a)No owner, whether a person, firm or corporation, shall operate any residential rental unit as defined in section 5-325 unless that owner holds a current rental permit issued by the City of Columbia for the residential rental unit named therein. ... (e)The permitting year shall begin on January 1st of each year and consist of a 12-month period. ... (i)Each individual property requires a separ...
Repairs & Habitability
Columbia enforces minimum habitability and upkeep standards on every rental property through the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code, adopted by Sec. 5-151 with local amendments on weeds and insect screens, and rental permits under Sec. 5-326(b) require certifying compliance with this minimum code.
Columbia Adopts Property Maintenance Code
Some RestrictionsColumbia, SC Code of Ordinances § 5-151
(a)There is hereby adopted by and for the city the International Property Maintenance Code 2021 edition as published by the International Code Council Inc., which code is published separately in book form and is adopted by reference as though copied fully in this section. Specifically excluded from the adoption of the Property Maintenance Code is Section 103, and its subsections (enumerated as ...
Looking for Richland County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Columbia city rules.
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