South Carolina Landlord Selling the House

South Carolina rules on landlord selling the house for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.

Short answer: A landlord who sells to a good-faith buyer is released from liability for events after the tenant receives written notice of the sale. S.C. Code §§ 27-40-450(a), 27-40-410(e), 27-40-420(b)

The rules in South Carolina

If the landlord sells the property	A landlord who sells to a good-faith buyer is released from liability for events after the tenant receives written notice of the sale. The seller stays liable for the tenant's security deposit unless the deposit is transferred to the buyer and the tenant is notified in writing within a reasonable time, in which case the buyer becomes liable for it. Whoever holds the landlord's interest when the tenancy ends is bound by the deposit-return rules, and the owner/manager contact disclosure must be kept current by any successor landlord or owner. Source: S.C. Code §§ 27-40-450(a), 27-40-410(e), 27-40-420(b)
Tenants in foreclosure	No statute — South Carolina's landlord-tenant and ejectment chapters add no tenant protections in foreclosure beyond the federal PTFA. If a landlord sells the property in good faith to a buyer who takes over the lease, the selling landlord is relieved of later liability. Federal PTFA: a 90-day notice and existing leases are honored with limited exceptions. Source: S.C. Code § 27-40-450; chs. 27-37, 27-40 checked

If the landlord sells the property

A landlord who sells to a good-faith buyer is released from liability for events after the tenant receives written notice of the sale. The seller stays liable for the tenant's security deposit unless the deposit is transferred to the buyer and the tenant is notified in writing within a reasonable time, in which case the buyer becomes liable for it. Whoever holds the landlord's interest when the tenancy ends is bound by the deposit-return rules, and the owner/manager contact disclosure must be kept current by any successor landlord or owner.

Source: S.C. Code §§ 27-40-450(a), 27-40-410(e), 27-40-420(b)

Tenants in foreclosure

No statute — South Carolina's landlord-tenant and ejectment chapters add no tenant protections in foreclosure beyond the federal PTFA. If a landlord sells the property in good faith to a buyer who takes over the lease, the selling landlord is relieved of later liability.

Federal PTFA: a 90-day notice and existing leases are honored with limited exceptions.

Source: S.C. Code § 27-40-450; chs. 27-37, 27-40 checked

South Carolina vs. neighboring states

Landlord Selling the House: South Carolina vs. neighboring states
State	If the landlord sells the property	Tenants in foreclosure
South Carolina	A landlord who sells to a good-faith buyer is released from liability for events after the tenant receives written notice of the sale. The seller stays liable for the tenant's security deposit unless the deposit is transferred to the buyer and the tenant is notified in writing within a reasonable time, in which case the buyer becomes liable for it. Whoever holds the landlord's interest when the tenancy ends is bound by the deposit-return rules, and the owner/manager contact disclosure must be kept current by any successor landlord or owner. S.C. Code §§ 27-40-450(a), 27-40-410(e), 27-40-420(b)	No statute — South Carolina's landlord-tenant and ejectment chapters add no tenant protections in foreclosure beyond the federal PTFA. If a landlord sells the property in good faith to a buyer who takes over the lease, the selling landlord is relieved of later liability. S.C. Code § 27-40-450; chs. 27-37, 27-40 checked
Georgia	According to Georgia's official Landlord-Tenant Handbook, when a rental property is sold the former owner must either transfer the security deposit to the new owner, who then becomes responsible for it, or refund the deposit to the tenant. If the old owner does neither, the tenant can sue to recover the deposit. The handbook also says new owners of an apartment complex are generally bound by existing leases and cannot raise rents or change rules during them. Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook (Dept. of Community Affairs, rev. 8-29-24), pp. 13-14	Not verified yet
North Carolina	When the landlord's interest ends by sale (or assignment, death, receivership, or otherwise), the landlord or agent must, within 30 days, either transfer the remaining security deposit to the successor and then notify the tenant by mail of the transfer and the new holder's name and address, or return the remaining deposit to the tenant. Either step relieves the former landlord of further liability for the deposit. A buyer of the property (grantee of the reversion) has the same remedies against the tenants under the lease as the seller had, and tenants have the same remedies against the buyer. N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 42-54, 42-8	For residential property with fewer than 15 rental units, the foreclosure notice of sale must be mailed to each tenant (by name, or to 'occupant') at least 20 days before the sale. It must tell tenants they may end their lease by written notice effective 10 to 90 days after the sale date, if the default is not cured. A tenant who ends the lease this way owes only prorated rent. After the sale, the purchaser can get a clerk's order for possession only after 10 days' notice to those in possession, or 30 days for properties with 15 or more rental units. When the landlord's interest ends, the deposit must be transferred to the successor (with notice to the tenant) or returned within 30 days. N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 45-21.17(4), 45-21.16A(b), 42-45.2, 45-21.29(k)(5), 42-54

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