Columbia, SC Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)

Section 8-331(a) puts the duty to keep sidewalks clean and free from obstruction on all owners of property in the city upon which sidewalks have been laid, and requires owners to report defective sidewalk conditions to the city manager or director of public services rather than let a hazard sit unreported. Section 8-331(b) extends the duty to the right-of-way strip lying between the property line and the street side of the gutter, requiring it be kept free of unsightly vegetation or anything that would mar or detract from the street's beauty and cleanliness; a business or institutional owner who lets grass grow there must keep it mowed and free of rubbish.

If the owner is not in possession of the property, Section 8-331(b) shifts the duty to the tenant or whoever has possession or control. Enforcement follows the same track as the weeds article: Section 8-332 lets the public services department serve notice by personal delivery, mail, or posting, Section 8-333 gives the recipient ten days from service, mailing, or posting to fix the deficiency or be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable under Section 1-5, and Section 8-334 lets the city correct the condition itself if the ten days pass, charging the cost to the owner, occupant, or other person in control of the property.