Quick Answer
Under S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-530, a tenant may not unreasonably refuse you entry for inspection, repair, or showing. You enter on at least 24 hours’ notice and at reasonable times. You may enter without consent in an emergency. For scheduled periodic services disclosed in the lease and announced, entry is between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., and for services the tenant requested, between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Statute text last checked October 22, 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Twenty-four hours’ notice is the baseline for non-emergency entry.
- Reasonable times only.
- Emergencies are the exception.
- Scheduled services have set hours when the lease discloses them and you announce the visit.
- No harassment. The statute prohibits abuse of the right of access.
1. The Baseline
The statute asks tenants not to refuse entry unreasonably, and it asks you to give at least 24 hours’ notice and choose reasonable times. Put your entry notices in writing, state the reason, and note the date and time of entry.
2. Emergencies
You may enter without consent in an emergency. Write down what the emergency was, when you entered and what you did. A short note made the same day is easier to rely on later.
3. Scheduled Services
For periodic services such as pest control or landscaping, the statute allows entry between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. if the lease discloses them and the visit is announced. For services the tenant asked for, entry is between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., if announced.
4. Other Entry
Outside these cases, the statute lists limited other rights of entry, such as a court order, certain statutory situations, service of process accompanied by law enforcement, and abandonment or surrender. Tenants may not change the locks without your permission.
5. A Checklist
- Add an access clause to the lease that matches the statute.
- Send a written notice at least 24 hours ahead.
- Enter at reasonable times only.
- Log each entry with date, time, reason and who attended.
- Keep emergency entries in a separate note.
A Simple Entry Notice
A short written notice is enough: the address, the date and time window, the reason for entry, and your contact details. Deliver it at least 24 hours ahead, by a method you can document, and keep a copy. If the tenant asks to change the time, agree in writing and note the new time on the original notice.
Recurring Visits
For recurring services such as pest control, put the schedule in the lease and announce each visit. The statute ties the longer entry window to services that are disclosed in the lease and announced, so the disclosure is the step that makes the schedule work.
Showings
When the unit is being shown to new tenants or buyers, the same notice and reasonable-time rules apply. Group showings into a few windows and give the current tenant the dates in advance. Tenants who feel respected tend to cooperate, and the log shows that you did.
Keeping an Entry Log
A one-line log entry for each visit is enough: date, time, reason, who attended, and whether the tenant was home. Over a year, the log shows a consistent practice and makes any later disagreement about access easier to sort out from the record.
What This Guide Does Not Cover
This guide covers § 27-40-530. It does not cover remedies for abuse of access in § 27-40-780 in detail, showings after a notice to vacate, or local ordinances. It states the statute and does not predict how a court will rule.
7. Questions Owners Ask
Is a text enough for notice? The statute speaks of notice. A written message you can document is the clearest record.
Can I enter to fix something the tenant reported? For a service the tenant requested, the statute allows entry between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. when announced.
Can the tenant change the locks? Not without your permission, according to the statute.