South Carolina law does not prohibit landlords from refusing Section 8 vouchers or other lawful income sources, and Charleston has no local source-of-income ordinance, so housing-choice voucher holders frequently face advertised refusals.
Federal Fair Housing Act protections cover race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, and disability, but not source of income. South Carolina's state Human Affairs Law mirrors the federal categories without adding source-of-income coverage. Charleston has not enacted a local ordinance protecting voucher holders, unlike some peer cities. Landlords may legally advertise no-Section-8, refuse housing-choice applicants, or demand market-rate income multiples. Disparate-impact theories under federal Fair Housing remain available where refusals correlate with protected classes, but enforcement is rare and case-specific.
No state or local penalty for source-of-income refusal exists; tenants must pursue federal disparate-impact claims through HUD or DOJ for enforcement.
Charleston, SC
The Housing Authority of the City of Charleston administers federal Housing Choice Vouchers locally, but landlord participation is voluntary because South Ca...
Charleston, SC
Charleston has no just-cause eviction ordinance because South Carolina's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act sets uniform statewide grounds, leaving landlord...
See how Charleston's source-of-income discrimination rules stack up against other locations.
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