South Carolina Property Management Study Aid
SCRLTA Award Compensations
Session 2 — tenant and landlord money remedies
Bucket map
- A. Big hurtGreater of 3 months’ rent OR 2× actual damages + attorney’s fees
- B. Deposit money×3 the amount wrongfully withheld + attorney’s fees
- C. Bad lease clausesDeliberate → up to the deposit; Malicious → up to 3 months’ rent (+ actual + fees)
- D. AccessActual damages + attorney’s fees (not ×3, not 3 mo / 2×)
- E. Fees-only upgradesMostly reasonable attorney’s fees (sometimes + actual damages)
- F. Bad-faith retaliation defenseUp to 3 months’ rent OR treble (×3) actual damages
Tenant recoveries
| Bucket | Violation | Award | Memory hook |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | Landlord wrongfully withholds security deposit / prepaid rent (misses 30-day itemized notice rules) | Three times the amount wrongfully withheld + reasonable attorney’s fees | DEPOSIT = ×3 the withheld amount (not “3 months’ rent”). |
| A | Landlord unlawfully ousts/excludes the tenant or willfully interrupts essential services | Greater of three months’ periodic rent OR twice actual damages + reasonable attorney’s fees | LOCKOUT / UTILITY CUTOFF = 3 months OR 2× actual (pick the bigger) + fees. |
| A | Landlord’s failure to deliver possession is willful and not in good faith | Not more than three months’ periodic rent OR twice actual damages (whichever greater) + reasonable attorney’s fees | WILLFUL no-keys delivery = same big formula as lockout: 3 mo OR 2×. |
| A | Landlord retaliates unlawfully (rent above fair market, cut services, or possession because of a protected complaint) | Greater of three months’ rent OR twice actual damages + attorney’s fees (and may recover possession or terminate) | RETALIATION vs tenant ≈ lockout math: 3 mo OR 2× + fees. |
| C | Landlord deliberately uses a lease with known prohibited provisions and tries to enforce them | Actual damages + an amount not exceeding the security deposit + reasonable attorney’s fees | DELIBERATE bad clause = actual + up to the DEPOSIT (+ fees). |
| C | Landlord maliciously uses a lease with known prohibited provisions and tries to enforce them | Actual damages + an amount not exceeding three months’ periodic rent + reasonable attorney’s fees | MALICIOUS bad clause = actual + up to 3 MONTHS’ RENT (+ fees). |
| D | Landlord abuses access / harasses with unlawful or unreasonable entry demands | Actual damages + reasonable attorney’s fees (plus injunctive relief or terminate) | ACCESS ABUSE by landlord = actual + fees — NOT ×3 actual. |
| E | Landlord wrongfully fails to provide essential services (tenant chooses the damages path after notice) | Damages based on diminution in fair-market rental value + reasonable attorney’s fees (or procure the service and deduct its actual cost) | ESSENTIAL SERVICES money path = FMV drop + fees, OR pay for service & deduct — not full repair-and-deduct. |
| E | Landlord material noncompliance with the rental agreement / maintain duties is willful | Actual damages + injunctive relief + reasonable attorney’s fees | WILLFUL landlord repair/lease breach = actual + injunction + fees. |
| F | Landlord acts in retaliation against protected tenant conduct (broader damages statement in the materials) | Up to three months’ rent OR treble the actual damages (whichever greater) + reasonable attorney’s fees | Some retaliation lines use TREBLE actual (×3 damages) OR 3 months — watch the wording. |
Landlord recoveries
| Bucket | Violation | Award | Memory hook |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Tenant’s holdover is a willful violation | Greater of three months’ periodic rent OR twice actual damages + reasonable attorney’s fees | WILLFUL HOLDOVER = mirror of lockout: 3 mo OR 2× + fees (landlord gets it). |
| E | Tenant holdover is not in good faith (but not necessarily labeled willful) | Reasonable attorney’s fees | BAD-FAITH HOLDOVER (not willful) = fees. Willful upgrades to 3 mo / 2×. |
| D | Tenant refuses to allow lawful access | Actual damages + attorney’s fees (plus injunctive relief or terminate) | TENANT blocks access = actual + fees (same scale as landlord access abuse). |
| E | Tenant’s noncompliance (other than nonpayment of rent) is willful | Reasonable attorney’s fees (in addition to other available remedies) | WILLFUL tenant breach (not rent) unlocks landlord attorney’s fees. |
| E | Tenant’s nonpayment of rent is not in good faith | Reasonable attorney’s fees | BAD-FAITH unpaid rent → landlord fees (not automatic 3 mo / 2×). |
| E | Tenant raises a defense/counterclaim without merit and not in good faith in a possession/rent action | Actual damages + reasonable attorney’s fees | FAKE defense = landlord gets actual damages + fees. |
| F | Tenant raises a retaliation defense in bad faith | Up to three months’ periodic rent OR treble actual damages (whichever greater) | BAD-FAITH retaliation claim flips to landlord: 3 mo OR ×3 actual. |
| E | Tenant’s retaliation defense is without merit (not necessarily bad faith) | Reasonable attorney’s fees | Meritless retaliation defense = fees. Bad faith upgrades to 3 mo / treble. |