Dorchester County, SC Rental Property Rules: Rent Control (2026)
Rent control rules in Dorchester County, SC, also known as rent stabilization or rent cap ordinances, limit annual rent increases and protect tenants from displacement.
Key Facts
- Rent control
- Banned statewide
- Statute
- S.C. Code 27-39-60 (1985)
- Increases
- Market rate, any amount
- Local cap
- Void in county and Summerville
- Carve-out
- Government-owned housing only
Summary
South Carolina bans local rent control outright. Under S.C. Code Section 27-39-60, no county or city may regulate the rent charged on private residential property. Neither Dorchester County nor the Town of Summerville may cap increases, so landlords set rents at market and raise them freely at renewal.
No county or municipal corporation may enact, maintain, or enforce any ordinance or resolution which would regulate in any way the amount of rent to be charged for privately owned, single family, or multiple unit residential, or commercial rental property.
Full Breakdown
South Carolina is a strong home-rule state for zoning but takes rent control entirely off the table. Section 27-39-60, enacted in 1985, bars any county or municipal corporation from enacting, maintaining, or enforcing an ordinance that regulates the rent charged for privately owned single-family or multi-unit residential property. That preemption binds Dorchester County, Summerville, St. George, and Ridgeville alike. A tenant's only protection against an increase is the lease itself: during a fixed term the rent cannot change, but at renewal or on a month-to-month tenancy the landlord may raise it any amount. The one carve-out lets a government set rents on property it owns or subsidizes, such as public or Section 8 housing.
Violations & Fines
There is no rent ceiling to violate in Dorchester County. Any local ordinance attempting to cap rent would be void under Section 27-39-60. A tenant's remedy for an unwanted increase is to decline renewal, not to challenge the amount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Dorchester County or Summerville cap my rent?
How much notice before a rent increase?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dorchester County
Compare Dorchester County to another location·View the South Carolina rental property rules overview
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