Richland County, SC Rental Inspections: Inspection Programs (2026)

Article VII of Chapter 16, adopted by Ord. No. 001-23HR on February 7, 2023, exists "to safeguard all neighborhoods within the unincorporated areas of Richland County from blight and unsafe living conditions" by spreading compliance duties across owners, tenants and property managers. Section 16-72(a) requires the owner of any non-owner-occupied, habitable residential property to register it in the county's online database within 30 days of it becoming a rental; "habitable" means it has a certificate of occupancy and legal electric supply and running water. Registration must include the property address, the owner's mailing address, phone number and email, and, if the owner lives more than 50 miles from the property or outside the county, the same information for an authorized local agent.

Section 16-72(b) requires anyone owning more than one non-owner-occupied rental in the unincorporated county, leased for 30 days or longer, to obtain a business license, unless the property is managed by a properly licensed property manager or management company; if that manager later lets its license lapse, the obligation reverts to the owner. Section 16-73(a) makes owners, property managers, management companies and tenants each individually responsible for complying with county ordinances on property maintenance, weeds, zoning and building safety, though a tenant can only be cited for a zoning or building violation if there is affirmative evidence the tenant built the offending structure or created the use.