Anderson County, SC Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Section 8-170 finds that some county dwellings are unfit for human habitation due to dilapidation; defects increasing the hazards of fire, accidents or other calamities; lack of ventilation, light or sanitary facilities; or other conditions rendering such dwellings unsafe or unsanitary, dangerous or detrimental to the health, safety or morals of residents. The codes director enforces the article under § 8-171, with power to investigate dwelling conditions, administer oaths, examine witnesses, and enter premises for inspection with minimal inconvenience to occupants. A case starts either on a petition from at least five county residents or on the codes director's own motion; § 8-173(a) then requires a written complaint served on the owner and all interested parties, and a hearing set between 10 and 30 days later where the owner may answer and testify, unconstrained by ordinary courtroom rules of evidence.

If the codes director finds the dwelling unfit after that hearing, § 8-173(b) splits the remedy on cost: where repair is possible at 'reasonable cost,' defined as not over 50 percent of the dwelling's value, the order requires the owner to repair, alter or improve the dwelling, or vacate and close it; where repair would exceed that 50-percent threshold, the order must instead require removal or demolition. If the owner ignores the order, the codes director can have the work, vacating, or demolition done directly, post a placard reading 'This building is unfit for human habitation; the use or occupation of this building for human habitation is prohibited and unlawful,' and place a lien for the cost against the property, collectible like county taxes under § 8-173(f). Any third-party demolition contractor must be bid under the county's procurement code.