Orangeburg County, SC Rental Inspections: Tenant Complaint Process (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing office
- County code official, Community Development
- Time to begin repairs
- 7 calendar days after notice
- Time to complete repairs
- 20 calendar days after notice
- Answer deadline after complaint
- 30 days from receipt
- Appeal window
- 60 days to petition circuit court
- Governing law
- County Code §§ 6-31 to 6-44
Summary
In unincorporated Orangeburg County, the code official investigates any dwelling reported as unfit for human habitation under County Code §§ 6-31 to 6-42. After a preliminary investigation confirms a dangerous condition, the county serves the owner a written notice. The owner gets seven days to start repairs and twenty days to finish them, or the case moves to a formal complaint and hearing before the Community Development Review Board.
The code official shall cause to be conducted a preliminary investigation to determine if there is a basis for finding a violation of this ordinance. ... If the owner has not begun private remediation of the dangerous condition within seven calendar days of the date of delivery of the county's notice, then the owner shall be deemed to have failed to promptly begin private remediation. ... If the owner has not completed private remediation of the dangerous condition within 20 calendar days of the date of delivery of the county's notice, the owner shall be deemed to have failed to remedy the dangerous condition within a reasonable time period. ... Each recipient of the complaint shall have 30 days from his/her receipt of the notice to file a written answer to the complaint.
Full Breakdown
C. Code § 31-15-330 to repair, close, or demolish a dwelling in the unincorporated county that is unfit for human habitation because of dilapidation, fire hazards, poor ventilation or sanitation, or other conditions dangerous to occupants (§ 6-31). When a dwelling is flagged, the code official conducts a preliminary investigation under § 6-37 to decide whether a dangerous condition exists, using the same right-of-entry rules that apply to community development inspections generally. If the investigation supports a violation, § 6-38 requires the code official to deliver a written notice of violation to at least one owner.
Under § 6-39, the owner then has a duty to either fix the problem or contest the finding: remediation must begin within seven calendar days of delivery of the notice and be completed within twenty calendar days, though the county administrator may grant an extension for good cause, and an owner facing financial hardship can ask the code official to recommend a waiver of landfill tipping fees for the cleanup. An owner may instead appeal the finding through the community development review board's objection process. C. Code § 31-15-370 to petition the circuit court for an injunction before the order becomes final and enforceable.
Violations & Fines
Once an order becomes final, a county building inspector reinspects the property, and if the dangerous condition remains, the code official proceeds under the order's own remediation terms, which can include county-directed repair or demolition. Any cost the county incurs recovering compliance becomes a lien against the real estate, collectible like county property taxes (§ 6-44). Failing to timely remediate or contest a notice does not excuse the violation; it simply advances the case to the complaint and hearing stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who investigates a report that a rental home is unsafe in unincorporated Orangeburg County?
How long does an owner have to fix a dangerous condition after getting a notice?
What happens if the owner ignores the notice?
Can an owner appeal the county's finding?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Orangeburg County
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