Williamsburg County sits in the SC Pee Dee region along the Black River, bordered by Florence, Clarendon, Georgetown, Horry, and Marion counties. The county seat of Kingstree is a small city whose roots go deep into South Carolina history — it was among the more prosperous interior Lowcountry communities in the antebellum era, and its streetscape retains architectural evidence of that heritage. The modern county faces the same economic challenges as much of rural eastern SC: high poverty rates, limited industrial investment, agricultural contraction, and population loss as residents migrate to Columbia, Charleston, and the Grand Strand for employment and opportunity.
The rental market in Williamsburg County is concentrated in Kingstree, with very limited activity in the county’s scattered rural communities. Rents are among the lowest in South Carolina, the housing stock is predominantly older, and the tenant base is primarily lower-income working families and individuals in agricultural, service, and government employment. Williamsburg County’s position between Florence County and Horry County means some residents commute to Florence for healthcare employment or to Horry County’s Grand Strand for service sector work. All residential tenancies are governed by the SC Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, with Williamsburg County Magistrate Court handling Summary Ejectment proceedings.
📊 Quick Stats
County Seat
Kingstree
Population
~30,000
Key Communities
Kingstree, Andrews, Hemingway, Greeleyville, Lane
Court System
Magistrate Court
Rent Control
None (state preemption)
Just-Cause Eviction
Not required
⚡ Eviction At-a-Glance
Nonpayment Notice
5-Day Notice to Pay or Vacate
Lease Violation
14-Day Notice to Cure
Filing Fee
~$80–$120
Court Type
Magistrate Court
Avg. Timeline
2–4 weeks
Statute
SC Code § 27-40-710
Williamsburg County Ordinances & Local Rules
Topic
Rule / Notes
Rent Control
None. SC state preemption applies throughout Williamsburg County.
Security Deposit Cap
No statutory cap. Prevailing rents are very low; deposits typically one month. Return within 30 days with itemized accounting (SC Code § 27-40-530).
Habitability Standard
SC Code § 27-40-410 applies regardless of rent level. Older Pee Dee/Lowcountry stock requires proactive HVAC, plumbing, and moisture management. Heat, humidity, and occasional flooding risk from the Black River system require weatherproofing attention.
Written Lease Practice
Not legally required for month-to-month tenancies but essential for Magistrate Court enforcement. A signed written lease documenting all terms is the minimum legal infrastructure for every tenancy.
Housing Choice Vouchers
No state or local requirement to accept HCV in Williamsburg County. Voluntary participation can stabilize income in an affordability-constrained market. HCV tenants are subject to the same SC eviction statute as market-rate tenants.
Self-Help Eviction
Prohibited under SC law. Lock changes, utility shutoffs, and removal of tenant belongings are illegal regardless of nonpayment duration. Summary Ejectment through Williamsburg County Magistrate Court is the only lawful process.
Retaliatory Eviction
Prohibited. Courts may presume retaliation if eviction follows within 90 days of a documented habitability complaint.
Just-Cause Eviction
Not required. At lease end, a landlord may decline to renew without stating a reason provided proper notice is given.
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Landlord must give 5-day written notice before filing. Tenant can cure by paying full amount within 5 days. If tenant pays after filing but before judgment, case may be dismissed. Base filing fee is $40 for Rule to Show Cause, plus a $25 mandatory court surcharge per SC Stat. §22-3-340, bringing practical minimum to $65. Writ of Ejectment costs an additional $10. Filing fees may vary by county ($40-$75 range reported).
Serve the required notice based on the eviction reason (nonpayment or lease violation).
Wait for the notice period to expire. If tenant cures the issue (where allowed), the process stops.
File an eviction case with the Magistrate Court. Pay the filing fee (~$40).
Tenant is served with a summons and has the opportunity to respond.
Attend the court hearing and present your case.
If you prevail, obtain a writ of possession from the court.
Law enforcement executes the writ and removes the tenant if necessary.
⚠️ Disclaimer: This page provides general information about South Carolina eviction laws and does not constitute legal advice.
Eviction procedures can vary by county and may change over time. Local jurisdictions may have additional requirements or tenant protections.
For specific legal guidance, consult a qualified South Carolina attorney or local legal aid organization.
🔍 Reduce Your Risk Before Signing a Lease:
South Carolina landlords who screen tenants carefully before signing a lease significantly
reduce their risk of ending up in eviction court. Understanding
tenant screening in South Carolina —
including background checks, credit history, income verification, and rental references — is one of the most
cost-effective steps you can take to protect your rental property. Before you ever need South Carolina's
eviction process, proper tenant screening can help
you identify red flags early and avoid problem tenancies altogether.
Ready to File?
Generate South Carolina-Compliant Legal Documents
AI-generated, state-specific eviction notices, pay-or-quit letters, lease termination documents, and more — pre-filled with your tenant's information and built to South Carolina requirements.
Select your state, eviction reason, and the date you plan to serve notice. We'll calculate your earliest filing date and key milestones.
⚠️ Disclaimer: These calculations are estimates based on state statutes and typical court timelines. Actual results vary by county, court backlog, and case specifics. Always verify current requirements with your local courthouse. This is not legal advice.
Income verification: Government benefits (Social Security, SSI, disability), county/town employment, and service sector wages are the most common income sources. A consistent 3x monthly rent threshold is the baseline screen. Fixed government benefit income is highly predictable and is well-suited to documentation and verification.
Documentation: Move-in condition photos, signed checklists, and written maintenance logs are the evidentiary foundation of any Magistrate Court proceeding. Build these habits into every tenancy from day one.
Williamsburg County Landlord Guide: Kingstree, Black River Pee Dee Market, and SC Eviction Law
Williamsburg County brings the SC county page project full circle — from the state’s largest growth markets to its quietest rural communities, the same legal framework governs every tenancy. In Williamsburg County, as in every other county in this state, a nonpayment eviction requires a written 5-Day Notice, a Summary Ejectment filing, a Magistrate Court hearing, and a Sheriff’s enforcement of the Writ. The habitability standard is the same. The self-help eviction prohibition is the same. The security deposit return timeline is the same. South Carolina’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Act is a uniform statute, and its application in Kingstree is legally identical to its application in Greenville or Charleston.
Eviction Law at Williamsburg County Magistrate Court
Nonpayment evictions begin with a written 5-Day Notice to Pay or Vacate under SC Code § 27-40-710. After five days, Summary Ejectment is filed at Williamsburg County Magistrate Court in Kingstree. As a low-volume county court, scheduling is typically efficient. Writs of Ejectment are enforced by the Williamsburg County Sheriff. Lease violation evictions require 14-day cure under SC Code § 27-40-720. Self-help eviction — lock changes, utility shutoffs, removing tenant property — is illegal under SC law and creates civil liability regardless of nonpayment duration or tenant behavior. There is no shortcut, and in a small community where everyone knows everyone, the legal process is also the most reputationally sound path.
Kingstree’s Historical Character and the Rental Market
Kingstree is one of the more historically interesting small county seats in South Carolina — a Black River town with antebellum architecture, a preserved main street, and a community identity rooted in its role as the Williamsburg County hub for generations. The housing stock in Kingstree includes older Victorian and early-twentieth-century structures that offer architectural character rarely found at comparable price points. Maintaining older housing to SC’s habitability standard requires the same commitment as anywhere: functional HVAC in the Pee Dee’s humid summers, weathertight roofs and windows, reliable plumbing. The Black River valley’s moisture environment makes weatherproofing and mold prevention priorities that are more pressing here than in drier inland SC counties. Landlords who invest in proper maintenance of Kingstree’s older housing stock are preserving community assets while meeting their legal obligations.
Operating Sustainably in a Low-Margin Market
Williamsburg County’s rental market rewards operational discipline above all else. Low acquisition costs create an entry opportunity, but thin margins mean that missed security deposit deadlines, improperly handled evictions, deferred maintenance that produces habitability claims, or lease documentation gaps that undermine court enforcement are all compounding losses rather than manageable setbacks. The fundamentals that make SC landlord-tenant law predictable and landlord-friendly — uniform statewide statute, efficient Magistrate Court process, no rent control, no just-cause requirement — operate most effectively for landlords who build their operations on a foundation of written leases, documented conditions, timely compliance, and proactive maintenance. In Williamsburg County, as in every other SC county, that foundation is the entire difference between sustainable investment and ongoing legal and financial exposure.
⚠️ Legal Disclaimer: This page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Landlord-tenant law is subject to change and may vary based on individual circumstances. For questions about a specific eviction, lease dispute, or compliance matter, consult a licensed South Carolina attorney or contact Williamsburg County Magistrate Court directly. Last updated: March 2026.
