Room Rental Agreement in South Carolina

For renting a room in a home, including your own home. Some states treat a renter in the owner's home (a lodger) differently when ending the arrangement — see your state's household rules.

What South Carolina law says

Renting a room in your own home (lodgers)	No separate lodger exclusion. South Carolina's act defines a 'roomer' (a person in a unit lacking its own bathroom or kitchen facilities that shares them with other occupants) and treats a roomer as a tenant; unless the rental agreement fixes a definite term, a roomer paying weekly rent has a week-to-week tenancy. The act's exclusions do not include renting a room in the owner's home. Source: S.C. Code §§ 27-40-120, 27-40-210(13), 27-40-310(d)
Tenancy at will	Tenants at will must vacate on 20 days' written notice. All tenancies of real estate other than agricultural land are presumed month-to-month unless agreed otherwise, but this presumption does not apply to tenants at will. Failure to pay agreed rent when due, or a reasonable rent when demanded, ends a tenancy at will without notice. A person using premises without permission may be treated by the owner as a tenant at will. A tenant at will who holds over for three months after a written demand for possession forfeits double the value of the use of the premises (§ 27-35-170). Source: S.C. Code §§ 27-35-30, 27-35-40, 27-35-130, 27-35-140

Renting a room in your own home (lodgers)

No separate lodger exclusion. South Carolina's act defines a 'roomer' (a person in a unit lacking its own bathroom or kitchen facilities that shares them with other occupants) and treats a roomer as a tenant; unless the rental agreement fixes a definite term, a roomer paying weekly rent has a week-to-week tenancy. The act's exclusions do not include renting a room in the owner's home.

Source: S.C. Code §§ 27-40-120, 27-40-210(13), 27-40-310(d)

Tenancy at will

Tenants at will must vacate on 20 days' written notice. All tenancies of real estate other than agricultural land are presumed month-to-month unless agreed otherwise, but this presumption does not apply to tenants at will. Failure to pay agreed rent when due, or a reasonable rent when demanded, ends a tenancy at will without notice. A person using premises without permission may be treated by the owner as a tenant at will.

A tenant at will who holds over for three months after a written demand for possession forfeits double the value of the use of the premises (§ 27-35-170).

Source: S.C. Code §§ 27-35-30, 27-35-40, 27-35-130, 27-35-140

Fill it in

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ROOM RENTAL AGREEMENT

Owner/landlord: [owner name] Renter: [renter name]

Room: [room description] in the home at [home address]. Shared areas the renter may use: [shared areas].

Term: begins [start date]; [ends on end date / continues month to month].

Rent: $[monthly rent] due on [due day] by [payment method]. Deposit: $[deposit amount].

Utilities included: [utilities included]. House rules: [house rules, e.g. guests, kitchen use, smoking].

Ending the agreement: either side gives at least [notice period] written notice, and never less than state law requires.

Signatures and dates: [signatures]

Room Rental Agreement for other states · South Carolina tenant rights

General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.