In South Carolina, you may enforce a storage lien only after the tenant has been in default continuously for 50 days, and default begins when rent is 7 days past due. After that, two weekly newspaper ads must run, so the earliest sale is about day 64 from the rent due date (a derived count).
This page is general information, not legal advice. Review your notices and sale plan with your attorney before you act.
South Carolina lien timeline at a glance
South Carolina's law is the Self-Service Storage Facility Act, S.C. Code 39-20-10 to 39-20-50. Section 29-15-10 is a general repair and storage lien for vehicles and articles. It does not govern storage units.
| Step | Earliest timing | What the law requires | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Rent due | Day 0 | Rent due date. | 39-20-30(A) |
| 2. Default | Day 7 | Rent is 7 calendar days past due (or a payment check is dishonored), effective from the due date. Lien attaches as of default. | 39-20-30(A); 39-20-40 |
| 3. Deny access | Day 7 | Allowed when rent is 7 or more days past due. The rental agreement must say so. | 39-20-30(B); 39-20-40 |
| 4. Written notice | Day 14 | When rent is 14 or more days past due. Must be given during the 50 day default period. | 39-20-45(B), (C) |
| 5. Advertise | After the 50 day default period (derived: day 57) | Once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper. | 39-20-45(A), (E), (F) |
| 6. Sale | About day 64 (derived) | At the facility, nearest suitable place, or online by a South Carolina licensed auctioneer. | 39-20-45(A), (E), (I) |
The statute sets no minimum gap between the last ad and the sale, so day 64 is the earliest on a straight count. Default begins on day 7, so 50 days of default ends on day 57.
Worked example
Say rent of $80 was due March 1. Default begins March 8 (day 7). You may overlock the unit then. On March 15 (day 14) you send the notice by certified mail with a pay-by date of at least March 29. Fifty days after March 8 is April 27 (day 57). You publish the first ad April 28 and the second May 5. A sale on May 5 or soon after would be about day 64 from the due date. Dates are derived. The statute sets only the 50 day default period and two weekly ads.
Notice requirements
When rent is 14 or more days past due, give written notice to the last known address. It may be given in person, by personal delivery service, by first class mail with a certificate of mailing, by certified mail, or by email. The notice must include:
- A description of the property.
- The claim and the date it was due.
- A demand for payment within not less than 14 days after delivery.
- A conspicuous statement that the property will be sold if unpaid, and that partial payment does not stop the sale.
- A statement of denial of access.
- Your contact name, address and phone.
The tenant picks mail or email by signing in the rental agreement, which must carry mandatory language. Choosing email waives personal service or mail of default notices. Email is presumed delivered when sent to the last known address and a confirmation of receipt is received. Changes to the tenant's preference must be in writing by first class mail or hand delivery.
Alternate contact
There is no alternate contact requirement. Your lien is junior to perfected recorded liens and to liens of lienholders you know of through the rental agreement or a written notice, and those holders are notified for proceeds purposes.
Advertising the sale
After the 50 day default period ends, publish an ad once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation where the facility is located. It must include a brief description, the facility address, the tenant's name, and the time, place and manner of the sale.
Late fee limits
The Act has no late fee provision or cap. A 2014 amendment removed "labor, or other charges" from the lien, so the lien covers rent and the expenses of preserving and selling the goods only (39-20-30(A)). Do not add late fees to the lien claim without legal advice.
Sale rules, surplus and records
The sale is a public auction to the highest bidder, held at the facility, the nearest suitable place, or online by a South Carolina licensed auctioneer (online was added in 2022). If there is no purchaser, you may otherwise dispose of the property and must notify the tenant. If you value the goods under $300, you may hold them 60 days from the notice, then destroy or dispose of them without further notice. A good faith purchaser takes subject to perfected recorded liens and known lienholders.
Surplus: satisfy the lien and hold the balance for the tenant or a notified secured party. If it is unclaimed within 2 years of the sale, it is handled under Chapter 18 of Title 27 (unclaimed property). Your liability is capped at the sale proceeds.
Vehicles, boats and trailers
If the property is a motor vehicle or watercraft and rent remains unpaid 60 days after it matured, you may have it towed by a licensed towing company. You are not liable for the vehicle or damage once the tower takes possession (39-20-45(H)).
Active-duty military (SCRA)
We found no South Carolina servicemember rule in chapter 20. Federal law adds protections, and you should check a tenant's military status before any sale. See 50 U.S.C. 3958 for the federal rule.
What we could not confirm
- Days 57 and 64 are derived, because the 50 days count from default, not the due date.
- The statute sets no gap between the final ad and the sale.
- It does not say when within the 50 days the notice must go out beyond "when rent is 14 or more days past due."
Common mistakes checklist
- Counting the 50 days from the due date instead of from default at day 7.
- A lease missing the required default and notice-choice language.
- Emailing a tenant who chose mail.
- Giving fewer than 14 days to pay.
- Adding late fees to the lien claim.
- Running an online sale through an unlicensed auctioneer.
- Not notifying lienholders known through the lease.
- Not checking active-duty status before the sale.
Tools and next steps
Plan your dates with the lien timeline calculator. Compare other states on the self storage lien laws hub. Read the self storage auction process guide for the full walk-through, and start from the lien notice template. If you want the dates tracked for you, see lien and auction management.
Sources and review
Last reviewed: October 19, 2026. Laws change, and courts read them differently. This is general information, not legal advice. Review every notice and sale with your attorney before you act.