South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

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H. 3569

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. M.M. Smith, Pope, Davis, Cobb-Hunter, Wetmore, Henderson-Myers, Erickson, Rivers and Gilliard
Document Path: LC-0147SA25.docx

Introduced in the House on January 14, 2025
Introduced in the Senate on April 9, 2025
Last Amended on May 13, 2026
Passed by the General Assembly on May 13, 2026

Summary: Domestic violence in rental properties

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date Body Action Description with journal page number
12/12/2024 House Prefiled
12/12/2024 House Referred to Committee on Judiciary
1/14/2025 House Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 247)
1/14/2025 House Referred to Committee on Judiciary (House Journal-page 247)
1/15/2025 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Davis
2/5/2025 Scrivener's error corrected
2/18/2025 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Wetmore
4/2/2025 House Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary (House Journal-page 6)
4/3/2025 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Henderson-Myers
4/4/2025 Scrivener's error corrected
4/8/2025 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Erickson, Rivers, Gilliard
4/8/2025 House Amended (House Journal-page 30)
4/8/2025 House Read second time (House Journal-page 30)
4/8/2025 House Roll call Yeas-108 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 30)
4/9/2025 House Read third time and sent to Senate (House Journal-page 22)
4/9/2025 Senate Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 2)
4/9/2025 Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary (Senate Journal-page 2)
4/9/2025 Scrivener's error corrected
4/29/2025 Senate Committee report: Favorable Judiciary (Senate Journal-page 15)
4/29/2026 Senate Amended (Senate Journal-page 37)
5/6/2026 Scrivener's error corrected
5/6/2026 Senate Amended (Senate Journal-page 85)
5/7/2026 Senate Read second time (Senate Journal-page 32)
5/12/2026 Senate Amended (Senate Journal-page 20)
5/12/2026 Senate Read third time and returned to House with amendments (Senate Journal-page 20)
5/12/2026 Senate Roll call Ayes-42 Nays-4 (Senate Journal-page 20)
5/13/2026 House Senate amendment amended (House Journal-page 16)
5/13/2026 House Returned to Senate with amendments (House Journal-page 16)
5/13/2026 House Roll call Yeas-101 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 16)
5/13/2026 Senate Concurred in House amendment and enrolled (Senate Journal-page 38)
5/14/2026 Ratified R 180
5/18/2026 Signed By Governor

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

12/12/2024
2/5/2025
4/2/2025
4/4/2025
4/8/2025
4/9/2025
4/29/2025
4/29/2026
5/6/2026
5/6/2026-A
5/12/2026
5/13/2026

NOTE: THIS IS A TEMPORARY VERSION. THIS DOCUMENT WILL REMAIN IN THIS VERSION UNTIL FINAL APPROVAL BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

(R180, H3569)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 27-40-350 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT RESIDENTIAL TENANTS WHO ARE VICTIMS OF CERTAIN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OFFENSES MAY TERMINATE A RENTAL AGREEMENT AND TO PROVIDE FOR NECESSARY REQUIREMENTS; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 27-40-210, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS, SO AS TO DEFINE TERMS.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Rental agreement termination

SECTION 1.    Subarticle IV, Article 1, Chapter 40, Title 27 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

Section 27-40-350.    (A) If a residential tenant is a protected tenant, then the tenant may:

(1) terminate the protected tenant's future obligations under a rental agreement within sixty days of the date of a documented qualifying incident; and

(2) not be held liable for penalties or fees that might otherwise be imposed for the termination of the protected tenant's obligations under a rental agreement within sixty days of the documented qualifying incident; provided, however, that the protected tenant shall be liable for any damage that the protected tenant caused to the premises prior to the termination and no security deposits will be required to be returned until the end of the lease if such is due to be returned under the terms of the lease.

(B) A protected tenant must provide the landlord with written notice of the intent to terminate the protected tenant's obligations under a rental agreement within sixty days after a documented qualifying incident. The termination shall be effective on the date stated in the notice as long as it is at least thirty days after the landlord's receipt of the notice, unless the landlord consents in writing to an earlier date. The notice to the landlord must be accompanied by documentation of the qualifying incident such as a restraining order, an order of protection, or evidence of a conviction for domestic violence or abuse. The protected tenant must relinquish all legal rights of possession to the premises, but is still responsible for paying rent and other amounts owed, other than any fees imposed for early termination of the rental agreement.

(C) The protected tenant's obligations as a tenant must continue through the effective date of the termination. Any cotenants on the lease with the protected tenant shall remain responsible for the full rent for the balance of the term of the rental agreement. If the perpetrator is the remaining sole tenant obligated on the rental agreement, the landlord may terminate the rental agreement with five days' written notice and collect actual damages for such termination against the perpetrator.

(D) A landlord:

(1) may not require or force the protected tenant to vacate the residence before the expiration of the sixty days after the date of the qualifying incident authorized by this section, but may enter into an agreement with the protected tenant to terminate the protected tenant's obligations under a rental agreement earlier than what is required pursuant to this section; and

(2) is entitled to all remedies available arising from the destruction or damage of the rental unit caused by the protected tenant or permitted by the protected tenant while on the premises with the protected tenant's permission.

(E) A landlord may not take any retaliatory action against a protected tenant in response to the early termination of the protected tenant's obligations under a rental agreement pursuant to this section.

(F) A landlord or property owner, who acts in good faith in reliance upon documentation provided by a protected tenant to establish a "qualifying incident" under Section 27-40-210(20), may not be held liable for terminating or modifying a lease under this section.

Definitions

SECTION 2.    Section 27-40-210 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

(19) "protected tenant" means a tenant who is a victim of a qualifying incident;

(20) "qualifying incident" means domestic abuse or violence as defined by Chapter 4, Title 20 or Chapter 25, Title 16 wherein both the victim and the perpetrator are leaseholders on the same property and the domestic abuse or violence is documented by a restraining order or an order of protection or the perpetrator has been convicted of the domestic violence or abuse.

Time effective

SECTION 3.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 14th day of May, 2026.

______________________________________________________________________

President of the Senate

_____________________________________________________________________

Speaker of the House of Representatives

Approved the _____________ day of _________________________________________2026.

____________________________________________________________________

Governor

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This web page was last updated on May 14, 2026 at 9:00 PM