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

Section 6-84 governs boarded-up structures countywide. Before covering any means of egress or ingress to secure a structure, the owner must get a permit from the Building Codes and Inspections Department at the fee set on the current Richland County Fee Schedule; the permit authorizes boarding under the National Arson Prevention Initiative Board-Up Procedures and is valid for no more than ten days. Within five days of boarding, the owner must register the structure with the Property Maintenance Division, giving the owner's name and address, the parcel's address and tax parcel number, a phone number, and plans for occupancy, repair or demolition and for ongoing maintenance while boarded.

Boarded material must be painted to match the building's dominant exterior color or trim color. A registration expires 180 days after filing, though the Housing Official may grant one 180-day extension if requested in writing at least 30 days before expiration and a repair-or-demolition timeline is approved. Every 60 days the Housing Official updates a public 'Boarded-up Structure Inventory' and mails notice to listed owners by certified mail, with service by publication allowed if an owner cannot be located. It is unlawful to fail to register, to leave a structure boarded past the registration's expiration, or to leave any egress covered for more than 180 days without complying with the International Property Maintenance Code, which the county separately adopts in full at Section 6-182. Boarding material itself must conform to the International Residential Code.