CHARLESTON — Charleston County saw some of its highest numbers for eviction filings within the last five years in recent back-to-back months.
Princeton University’s Eviction Lab reported that 1,073 eviction filings were recorded in July and 1,021 in August. The county has one of the highest eviction filing rates in the country, with an 18 percent filing rate, according to the lab.
Over the last five years, six months have surpassed 1,000 filings in the county. Half of those were this year, including January with 1,068 filings.
The highest number of filings within that five-year period was 1,092 in July 2025.
Grace Hartley, a senior research specialist at the Eviction Lab, told The Post and Courier that Charleston County has the third highest eviction filing rate among metro areas they study in the country. The Eviction Lab tracks eviction filing rates in 43 cities and 11 states using data directly from court records.
The only places to rank higher are the Atlanta metro area — composed of Cobb, Clayton, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties — which has a 24 percent filing rate, and the city of Richmond and Chesterfield County in Virginia, which has a 21 percent filing rate, she said.
Attorneys with Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services often see an increase in evictions during summer months, according to Breanna Thomas, Equal Justice Works Housing Fellow. She said it’s likely due to people who rely on income from schools and universities, and they fall behind on payments during that period without work.
Charleston Pro Bono is one of several legal aid organizations that offer free services to cost-burdened clients through the county's Housing Court program.
In 2026, the pro bono firm has taken roughly 20 percent more eviction cases compared to last year. Between January and August this year, the firm has seen 1,061 cases, compared to 876 during the same months in 2025.
“We've definitely seen that uptick throughout the entire year, not just the summer,” Thomas said.
She said most cases are “failure to pay,” meaning a tenant did not pay rent within five days of the due date, prompting the landlord to start the eviction process.
“I think it speaks to where we're at as a country,” she said. “Economically, everyone's kind of suffering. Gas is high, groceries are high and people are having to choose between paying their electric bill and having enough to cover rent.”
Hartley described the statistics — especially the months with over 1,000 eviction filings — as massive, knowing it means so many families with children will be “launched into housing insecurity.” She added that an eviction takes a negative toll on things like mortality and children’s education.
South Carolina has taken some steps to help those who have been evicted. Gov. Henry McMaster signed legislation, H. 4270 on May 19 that seals evictions from renters’ records after seven years.
The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
Previously, evictions remained on the public index forever, even if a settlement was reached and a writ of ejectment avoided. Some local advocates called evictions the “Scarlet E” that follows renters and makes it hard to secure housing.
Hartley said the bill is helpful, but those seven years before a tenant eviction record is sealed will still be difficult for renters trying to find somewhere to live.
“It’ll be hard to find a place to rent because a lot of landlords use eviction screening software … if your name comes up with an eviction filing, they’ll be like, ‘OK, I’m not renting to you,’” she said. “It’s just a really stressful time financially and emotionally.”
While advocates have told The Post and Courier that passing the new law was “a wonderful start” to adding more protections for renters, they admitted more work must be done.
Many point to the state's low filing fee of $40 which landlords must pay to begin the eviction process, compared to Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama with fees exceeding $200. Low filing fees are associated with higher eviction rates because landlords are less inclined to work individually with tenants before starting the eviction process, The Post and Courier previously reported.
