Rock Hill, SC Rental Inspections: Inspection Programs (2026)

Section 10-607(a) requires the responsible person to notify the city's Department of Neighborhood Services whenever a tenant vacates a registered rental unit, at which point the unit is entered into the city's audit-based system. The code official then inspects the unit if city resources permit, and once selected the unit remains under audit until the inspection is completed and the unit is found without violation. Water and electrical service must be on for the inspection and any re-inspection, and obstructing an inspection results in revocation of the unit's registration.

Section 10-607(b) exempts a 'new residential unit,' defined in § 10-602 as one that received a certificate of occupancy or underwent a complete remodel within the previous five years, from inspection for at least five years after registration. After that period the unit becomes subject to the normal audit-based program. A unit passes inspection under § 10-607(d) if it is in compliance with the applicable codes, all municipal charges owed by the owner are current, and the property's use complies with the city's zoning ordinance.

The program was adopted by Ordinance No. 2023-12 on February 27, 2023 and sits within Chapter 10, Article X, Registration of Residential Rental Units. Public housing units must register under the article, but § 10-605(b) exempts them from these inspection requirements specifically, since Rock Hill Housing Authority units already undergo federally mandated inspections.