South Carolina Rental Application Form
A South Carolina Rental Application Form is a document a landlord provides to applicants who want to rent a residential property. The applicant fills out the form and signs it. The signature conveys the applicant’s consent to the landlord’s screening process.
A rental application form provides a brief description of the apartment or residential property for rent—the type of property, address, size, number of bedrooms, and expected monthly rent. An extensive section of the standard form is allocated for applicant details.
A prospective tenant fills out their personal information, including birth date, driver’s license, social security number, e-mail address, etc. One section of the form also asks for employment details to ensure the applicant can afford to pay rent. In most cases, the landlord will also ask for a payslip as proof of income. Another important detail for the landlord is the applicant’s tenancy history, especially if there is an eviction record.
Upon receipt of the duly filled and signed rental application, the landlord will verify the information stated thereon and check the applicant’s creditworthiness. When approving the rental application, the landlord should be mindful of the Federal Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination against race, religion, gender, familial status, and disability.
Rental Application Fee
There is no limit to how much a South Carolina landlord can charge as the application fee. However, in the interest of fairness, the charge should be uniform for all applicants. The application fee will cover the cost of the background check, usually implemented by a third party. The background check usually covers creditworthiness, tenancy background, and criminal records, if any.
Security Deposits
South Carolina does not have a ceiling on security deposits. However, the amount should be reasonable. The security deposit is a form of protection for the landlord should a tenant fail to pay rent on time or if there is any damage to the property.
At the end of tenancy, the landlord is required to return the security deposit — or part of it — to the tenant within 30 days. The landlord can withhold part of the security deposit if there is damage to the property. They will then prepare an itemized list of deductions, which will be sent to the tenant’s forwarding address. Any deterioration due to regular wear and tear cannot be included in the deductions (SC Code § 27-40-410 (2020)).