What to check first
If your South Carolina landlord has not returned your deposit, start with the timeline, your written demand, and your forwarding-address proof.
The 30-day period is tied to termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession, and demand by the tenant, whichever is later. The tenant must provide the landlord in writing with a forwarding address.
First, separate the possible problems
Your landlord may be late, may have sent an incomplete itemized notice, may be withholding money for deductions that do not fit South Carolina law, or may not have a clean written forwarding address and demand in the record.
Those are different problems. Treat them separately so your next letter is clear instead of just angry.
What to do now
- Confirm the date your tenancy ended.
- Confirm the date you delivered possession.
- Confirm that you demanded return of the deposit.
- Confirm that you gave a forwarding address in writing.
- Save your lease, deposit payment proof, move-out photos, and messages.
- Ask for the deposit balance or a compliant itemized written notice.
If the landlord sent deductions
Read the deductions carefully. South Carolina allows withholding for accrued rent and damages caused by tenant noncompliance. Ordinary wear and tear should not be treated as deductible damage.
If deductions are claimed, they should be itemized in a written notice.
Remedy position
South Carolina can allow recovery of the money due, three times the amount wrongfully withheld, and reasonable attorney's fees when the statutory conditions are met. Keep the facts clean before relying on that remedy: termination, possession delivery, demand, written forwarding address, deadline, and amount withheld.
Next step
If the deadline has passed and the issue is still unresolved, send a written demand that states the termination date, possession-delivery date, demand date, deposit amount, forwarding address, and what is missing.
The point is not to send a random angry letter. The point is to build a clean record: deadline, proof, written demand, deduction challenge if needed, and final demand before deciding whether escalation makes sense.
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Important: This page provides general information and is not legal advice.