How to Delay an Eviction in South Carolina

In South Carolina, you can be evicted for a number of different reasons, including not paying rent or violating the lease. However, there may be a few things you can do to postpone the eviction, or perhaps even stop it altogether.

Understanding Your Eviction Notice

If your landlord decides to evict you, you will first receive a written notice that states the reason for the eviction and a time period to either comply with the notice, if possible, or move out of the rental unit. In South Carolina, you could typically receive one of four types of eviction notices, depending on the reason for the eviction:

• Five-day notice to pay rent: You will receive this notice if you have failed to pay rent when it is due. Under this notice, you will have five days to pay rent before your landlord can file an eviction lawsuit against you (see S.C. Code Ann. §§ 27-40-710(B) and 27-37-10(B)).
• Fourteen-day notice to cure: You will receive this notice if you have violated the lease or rental agreement. Under this notice, you will have 14 days to fix the violation before your landlord can file an eviction lawsuit against you (see S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-710(A)).
• Unconditional quit notice: You will receive this notice if you have participated in illegal activity at the rental unit. Under this notice, the landlord can immediately file an eviction lawsuit against you (see S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-710(B)).
• Thirty-day notice to vacate: You will receive this notice if you have a month-to-month rental agreement that your landlord wants to end. Under this notice, you will have 30 days to move out of the rental unit before the landlord can file an eviction lawsuit against you (see S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-770).

It is important to note that you are not automatically evicted when the time period runs out. An eviction is a legal proceeding. If you did not comply with the eviction notice by the time the notice period ends, your landlord can then go to court and file the necessary paperwork to begin the eviction lawsuit against you. Depending on how busy the courts are, it could take anywhere from a week to months before a sheriff is ordered to evict you on a certain date. You can remain living in the rental unit until the sheriff is ordered to evict you, but remember that you will be required to pay the landlord rent until the day you move out of the unit.

Also, keep in mind that there are negative consequences to being evicted, other than losing your home. An eviction will have a negative impact on your credit report, and it could affect your prospects for future housing. Some landlords will not rent to people who have been evicted from a previous location.

For more information on the eviction process in South Carolina, see The Eviction Process in South Carolina. Also, if you are being evicted because the rental property is being foreclosed, see the Nolo article Rights of Renters in Foreclosure.

If you are considering filing for bankruptcy to stop your eviction, you should look at Evictions and the Automatic Stay in Bankruptcy. Filing for bankruptcy may not stop an eviction, and you should carefully consider your options before doing so.

Talk to Your Landlord

If you receive an eviction notice, you should first try talking to your landlord. You may be able to come to an agreement without going to court. An eviction will cost both of you money (as well as time), and your landlord may be willing to stop the eviction if you agree to certain terms, such as paying rent you owe or stopping behavior that violates the lease. If you can't come to an agreement that prevents you from moving out, perhaps you can agree on a certain date and time for when you will move out of the rental unit.

If you and the landlord are able to agree on anything, be sure to get the agreement in writing, signed and dated by both of you.

Comply With the Eviction Notice, If Possible

If you are being evicted for not paying rent or violating the lease, then your eviction notice will state the reason for the eviction. If you comply with the eviction notice by either paying all the rent due and owing or correcting the lease violation within the appropriate time frame, then, in South Carolina, the landlord must not proceed with the eviction (see S.C. Code Ann. §§ 27-40-710 and 27-37-10).

If you are not able to comply with the eviction notice within the time period stated in the notice, then you should talk to your landlord. For example, if you are being evicted for failure to pay rent, you will receive a five-day eviction notice. If you can't pay the rent in full within five days but you could by the end of the week, you should talk to your landlord to see if you can arrange to pay later. If your landlord agrees to terms that are different from the eviction notice, then you should get the agreement in writing.

Attend the Eviction Hearing

If you do not comply with the eviction notice and you and your landlord are not able to reach an agreement, then your landlord can file the eviction lawsuit with the court. You will receive a copy of the paperwork after your landlord files. You must review this paperwork carefully. It will have information in it regarding an upcoming hearing and whether you need to file any paperwork, such as an answer, with the court before this hearing. An answer is a document that allows you to state the reasons why you should not be evicted. This is where you need to put any defenses to the eviction, such as the landlord not maintaining the rental unit. In South Carolina, a rental unit is required to have working heat and electricity and running hot and cold water, among other things. If the landlord does not make necessary repairs to the rental unit, then you might be able to use this as a defense against the eviction (see S.C. Code Ann. §§ 27-40-440, 27-40-610, 27-40-630, and 27-40-640). For more ideas on possible defenses against an eviction, see Tenant Defenses to Evictions in South Carolina. You should also contact a lawyer to ensure you are using the best defenses available to you.

Regardless of whether you are required to file an answer with the court, you must attend the scheduled hearing. At this hearing, the judge will listen to both you and the landlord and make a decision regarding the eviction. If you do not attend the hearing, it is very likely the judge will rule against you and the eviction will proceed.

Even if you don't have any defenses against the eviction, you should still attend the hearing and talk to the judge. Depending on your circumstances (such as if you have minor children living at home or health issues), the judge might not schedule the eviction right away. The judge might give you a little extra time to prepare and move out of the rental unit before ordering a sheriff to perform the eviction. Keep in mind, though, that you will still owe your landlord rent until you move out of the rental unit.