Rental Property Rules in Dorchester County, SC (2026)
4 rules for unincorporated Dorchester County, South Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Rent Control
South Carolina bans local rent control outright. Under S.C. Code Section 27-39-60, no county or city may regulate the rent charged on private residential property. Neither Dorchester County nor the Town of Summerville may cap increases, so landlords set rents at market and raise them freely at renewal.
Dorchester County Rent Control & Stabilization
Few RestrictionsS.C. Code § 27-39-60
No county or municipal corporation may enact, maintain, or enforce any ordinance or resolution which would regulate in any way the amount of rent to be charged for privately owned, single family, or multiple unit residential, or commercial rental property.
Just Cause Eviction
South Carolina has no just-cause eviction law, and Dorchester County adds none. The Residential Landlord and Tenant Act lets a landlord end a month-to-month tenancy for any reason with 30 days' notice, and evict for nonpayment on a five-day notice under Section 27-40-710. Self-help lockouts remain illegal.
Dorchester County Just Cause Eviction Protections
Few RestrictionsS.C. Code § 27-40-710(B)
If rent is unpaid when due and the tenant fails to pay rent within five days from the date due or the tenant is in violation of Section 27-40-540, the landlord may terminate the rental agreement provided the landlord has given the tenant written notice of nonpayment and his intention to terminate the rental agreement if the rent is not paid within that period.
Rental Registration
South Carolina has no statewide rental-registration or landlord-license law, and Dorchester County runs no rental-inspection registry. What it does require is a business license: a landlord renting property in the unincorporated county must hold a Dorchester County business license, and Summerville landlords need the town's.
Dorchester County Rental Property Registration
Some RestrictionsS.C. Code § 27-40-410(c)
If a landlord (1) rents more than four adjoining dwelling units on the premises, and (2) imposes different standards for calculating security/rental deposits required of different tenants on the premises, then, prior to the consummation of the rental agreement, the landlord shall either post in a conspicuous place on the premises, or at the place at which rental is paid a statement clearly indi...
Repairs & Habitability
Dorchester County can declare a rental or any dwelling unfit for human habitation for dilapidation, structural defects, unsanitary conditions or fire hazards, then order the owner to repair or demolish it under County Code § 6-62. The rule applies only in unincorporated Dorchester County, and an owner who ignores the order can be forced out and billed through a property lien.
Dorchester County Unfit Dwelling Rules
Significant RestrictionsDorchester County Code § 6-62
Whenever the county administrator or his designated representative(s) finds that there exist in the county dwellings which are unfit for human habitation due to:(1)Dilapidation;(2)Defects increasing the hazards of fire, accidents or other calamities;(3)Lack of ventilation, light or sanitary facilities;(4)Disrepair;(5)Structural defects;(6)Uncleanliness;(7)Extreme or structural deterioration so ...
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