Protect the record before the deposit is due
The best time to protect your deposit is before the dispute starts.
South Carolina's deadline depends on termination, possession delivery, tenant demand, and a written forwarding address. Your checklist should preserve those facts clearly.
Before you leave
- save your lease and deposit payment proof
- confirm the date the tenancy ends
- take clear photos and video before removing the last items
- clean ordinary areas and remove belongings
- document keys, access devices, and possession delivery
- send your written demand and forwarding address
Give a forwarding address in writing
South Carolina's statute says the tenant must provide the landlord in writing with a forwarding address.
Send it in a way you can prove and keep a copy.
After possession is delivered
Save proof of the date possession was delivered. That may include a key return receipt, email, text, move-out confirmation, or other record.
Then track the 30-day later-of-events deadline.
If the landlord later withholds money, these records become the foundation for the next written step: asking for the deposit balance, challenging unsupported deductions, or sending a final demand if the record is already clean.
Get the Deposit Recovery System
Important: This page provides general information and is not legal advice.