Charleston rental units must remain free of bed bug infestations under Chapter 20 housing quality standards. Landlords are responsible for treatment when infestations are not solely tenant-caused, with SC tenant-landlord act backstopping habitability.
Chapter 20 of the Charleston Code (Housing Quality Standards) requires rental dwellings to remain reasonably free of insect infestation. Bed bug complaints in city rentals are investigated by Charleston's housing code office; persistent infestations trigger landlord obligations to engage licensed pest control and document treatment. The South Carolina Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (SC §27-40-440) reinforces landlord duty to maintain fit and habitable premises. Tenants must cooperate with treatment access and prep; refusal may shift cost responsibility back under lease provisions.
Cited landlords face Chapter 20 violations and potential rental certificate-of-occupancy issues until documented treatment by licensed exterminators is completed.
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See how Charleston's bed-bug rules rules stack up against other locations.
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