South Carolina Landlord Entry Notice Rules

S.C. Code § 27-40-530 lets a landlord enter to inspect, make repairs, supply services, or show the unit, but the landlord "shall give the tenant at least twenty-four hours notice of his intent to enter and may enter only at reasonable times." Entry without notice is allowed only in an emergency. For regularly scheduled services the statute contemplates entry between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., and for tenant-requested services between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. The tenant "shall not unreasonably withhold consent" to entry for these lawful purposes. A landlord who makes unlawful or repeated demands for entry, or enters to harass, gives the tenant grounds to seek an injunction or terminate, and a tenant who wrongfully denies access faces similar remedies.

A tenant may obtain injunctive relief, recover actual damages, and terminate the lease for a landlord's unlawful entry or repeated harassing entry demands under § 27-40-530; a landlord has parallel remedies if the tenant unreasonably refuses lawful entry.