South Carolina Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules
South Carolina rules on privacy, guests & animals for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: No landlord-specific statute. Being an eavesdropper or 'peeping tom' on another's premises — including using video or audio equipment to spy on or invade the privacy of others — is a misdemeanor (up to $500 and/or 3 years). S.C. Code §§ 16-17-470, 17-30-30(C)
The rules in South Carolina
| Cameras & privacy | No landlord-specific statute. Being an eavesdropper or 'peeping tom' on another's premises — including using video or audio equipment to spy on or invade the privacy of others — is a misdemeanor (up to $500 and/or 3 years). Knowingly viewing, photographing or recording another person without knowledge and consent, for sexual purposes, where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy is voyeurism (felony for repeat offenses). Intercepting wire, oral or electronic communications is lawful only if the person is a party or one party consents (one-party consent). The peeping-tom offense does not require sexual intent, so hidden cameras or audio devices aimed at tenants' private areas can violate it. 'Reasonable expectation of privacy' includes places where one expects to be safe from surveillance. Wiretap chapter: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t17c030.php. Landlords must give 24 hours' notice to enter except as allowed by § 27-40-530(b). |
|---|---|
| Guests & occupants | No statute on guests vs. tenants or roommate rights — the lease governs. Owners and managers may adopt reasonable occupancy standards based on the number and size of bedrooms and overall unit size, as long as they do not violate local, state or federal limits. Tenants must not let persons on the premises with their permission damage the premises or disturb other tenants. Occupancy standards may not be used to discriminate based on familial status. |
| Service & support animals (state law) | To decide whether an animal that is not a service animal (e.g., an emotional support animal) is a reasonable accommodation, a landlord may ask whether the person has a disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities and whether the person has a disability-related need for the animal, and may request documentation; documentation is sufficient if it shows a disability and that the animal provides disability-related assistance or emotional support. Persons with disabilities who have an assistance dog are entitled to full and equal access to rental housing and may not be charged extra for the dog, but are liable for damage it causes. Intentionally misrepresenting an animal as a service animal to obtain a right or privilege of a disabled person is a civil violation (fines up to $250 / $500 / $1,000). § 31-21-70(N) added by 2019 Act No. 44, effective May 16, 2019. Assistance-dog housing rule: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t43c033.php. Misrepresentation statute: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t47c003.php (not a criminal offense; no custodial arrest). |
Related questions
- Can a landlord put cameras in or around a rental?
- Can a landlord limit overnight guests or roommates?
- Can a landlord deny a service or emotional support animal?
South Carolina vs. neighboring states
| State | Cameras & privacy | Guests & occupants | Service & support animals (state law) |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | No landlord-specific statute. Being an eavesdropper or 'peeping tom' on another's premises — including using video or audio equipment to spy on or invade the privacy of others — is a misdemeanor (up to $500 and/or 3 years). Knowingly viewing, photographing or recording another person without knowledge and consent, for sexual purposes, where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy is voyeurism (felony for repeat offenses). Intercepting wire, oral or electronic communications is lawful only if the person is a party or one party consents (one-party consent). S.C. Code §§ 16-17-470, 17-30-30(C) | No statute on guests vs. tenants or roommate rights — the lease governs. Owners and managers may adopt reasonable occupancy standards based on the number and size of bedrooms and overall unit size, as long as they do not violate local, state or federal limits. Tenants must not let persons on the premises with their permission damage the premises or disturb other tenants. S.C. Code §§ 31-21-70(L), 27-40-510(6)-(7) | To decide whether an animal that is not a service animal (e.g., an emotional support animal) is a reasonable accommodation, a landlord may ask whether the person has a disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities and whether the person has a disability-related need for the animal, and may request documentation; documentation is sufficient if it shows a disability and that the animal provides disability-related assistance or emotional support. Persons with disabilities who have an assistance dog are entitled to full and equal access to rental housing and may not be charged extra for the dog, but are liable for damage it causes. Intentionally misrepresenting an animal as a service animal to obtain a right or privilege of a disabled person is a civil violation (fines up to $250 / $500 / $1,000). S.C. Code §§ 31-21-70(G)(2), (N); 43-33-70(d); 47-3-980 |
| Georgia | No landlord-specific statute. Georgia's criminal surveillance law makes it unlawful to use a device to observe, photograph, or record activities in a private place and out of public view without the consent of all persons observed, to secretly record private conversations originating in a private place, or to go onto another's premises to eavesdrop or secretly observe. An owner or occupier may use security devices on the property or its approaches only in areas where there is no reasonable expectation of privacy. O.C.G.A. § 16-11-62(1)–(3) | No statute — the lease governs guests, occupancy, and roommates. Whether a person is a tenant or only a guest depends on the agreement and the parties' conduct (e.g., paying rent, primary residence, belongings, length of stay). Leases commonly include house rules on guests. Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook (DCA, rev. 8-29-24), pp. 3, 9 | Georgia has no state statute specific to emotional support animals in housing (no state ESA documentation rule or ESA misrepresentation penalty identified). By statute, blind, visually or physically disabled, and deaf persons with a trained guide or service dog are entitled to full and equal access to housing and may not be charged extra for the dog, but are liable for damage it causes. Requests for ESAs and other assistance animals are handled under federal and state fair-housing reasonable-accommodation rules. O.C.G.A. § 30-4-3; Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook (DCA, rev. 8-29-24), p. 4 |
| North Carolina | No landlord-specific camera statute. Secretly peeping into a room occupied by another person (including a bedroom, bathroom, or shower) is a Class 1 misdemeanor; doing so while possessing an image-capturing device with intent to make an image is a Class A1 misdemeanor; and secretly using a device to photograph a person in such a room for sexual gratification is a Class I felony. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-202 | No statute — lease governs guests and occupants. The tenant may not knowingly permit any person to damage the premises. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-43(a)(4) | A person with a disability may keep a service animal trained to assist with the person's specific disability on any premises the person leases or rents, upon showing a state service-animal registration tag or that the animal is being or has been trained as a service animal. No extra compensation may be charged for the animal, but the person is liable for damage it causes. Disguising an animal as a service animal, or charging a fee for a service animal, is a Class 3 misdemeanor. No state statute sets emotional support animal documentation rules. N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 168-4.2(a), 168-4.4, 168-4.5, 168-9 |
More South Carolina rental law
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- South Carolina Rent Increase & Late Fee Laws
- Breaking a Lease in South Carolina
- Squatters' Rights in South Carolina
- South Carolina Rental Fee Rules
- South Carolina Section 8, Records & Right to Counsel
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- All South Carolina landlord-tenant rules
- Free legal help in South Carolina
Compare privacy, guests & animals in all 50 states and DC →
South Carolina Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules FAQ
Can a landlord put cameras in or around a rental in South Carolina?
No landlord-specific statute. Being an eavesdropper or 'peeping tom' on another's premises — including using video or audio equipment to spy on or invade the privacy of others — is a misdemeanor (up to $500 and/or 3 years). Knowingly viewing, photographing or recording another person without knowledge and consent, for sexual purposes, where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy is voyeurism (felony for repeat offenses). Intercepting wire, oral or electronic communications is lawful only if the person is a party or one party consents (one-party consent). (S.C. Code §§ 16-17-470, 17-30-30(C))
Can a landlord limit guests or roommates in South Carolina?
No statute on guests vs. tenants or roommate rights — the lease governs. Owners and managers may adopt reasonable occupancy standards based on the number and size of bedrooms and overall unit size, as long as they do not violate local, state or federal limits. Tenants must not let persons on the premises with their permission damage the premises or disturb other tenants. (S.C. Code §§ 31-21-70(L), 27-40-510(6)-(7))
Can a landlord deny a service or emotional support animal in South Carolina?
To decide whether an animal that is not a service animal (e.g., an emotional support animal) is a reasonable accommodation, a landlord may ask whether the person has a disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities and whether the person has a disability-related need for the animal, and may request documentation; documentation is sufficient if it shows a disability and that the animal provides disability-related assistance or emotional support. Persons with disabilities who have an assistance dog are entitled to full and equal access to rental housing and may not be charged extra for the dog, but are liable for damage it causes. Intentionally misrepresenting an animal as a service animal to obtain a right or privilege of a disabled person is a civil violation (fines up to $250 / $500 / $1,000). (S.C. Code §§ 31-21-70(G)(2), (N); 43-33-70(d); 47-3-980)
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.