In court-decided eviction outcomes for Myrtle Beach, SC, tenants prevail in roughly 5.0% of contested cases. A higher number means landlords face stronger tenant defenses, longer calendars, and more required documentation, and landlord-friendliness drops as this rises.
Timeline
43d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Myrtle Beach, SC until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 43 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.7-4.4k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Myrtle Beach, SC costs landlords $1,668 to $4,363 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,261
36% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Myrtle Beach, SC is $1,261 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 36% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
39.5%
of households
39.5% of occupied housing units in Myrtle Beach, SC are renter-occupied (vs owner-occupied). A higher renter share usually correlates with more eviction filings, more turnover, and a more active rental market.
Poverty
16.9%
4.3% unemp.
16.9% of Myrtle Beach, SC residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 4.3%. Both feed into the economic-stress sub-score in our Eviction Risk Score model because rent payment problems track poverty + joblessness more reliably than any other single signal.
Time machine
Scrub 50 years
197619861996200620162026
2026
● LIVE · today◀ REPLAY · historical
Nine-axis profile
9-axis profile · today
Shape of the risk surface
1 landlord · 10 tenant
Sub-scores · with sparkline
Where the score comes from
1 → 10 scale
Local political climate
GOP margin +38.6% (2024)
3.0
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
2.5
State political climate
South Carolina legislature & governorship
2.5
Economic stress
16.9% poverty · 4.3% unemp.
5.5
Supply constraint
$1,261 average · 39.5% renters
4.5
Rent Control risk
36.1% of income on rent
1.0
Eviction process difficulty
43 days filing → judgment
2.5
Tenant organizing strength
39.5% renters
2.0
Housing court bias
County bench composition
2.5
Geographic context
Risk heat across Myrtle Beach and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Myrtle Beach compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Horry County
Very Low
#19of 20 cities
#19 of 20 cities in Horry County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in South Carolina
Very Low
#457of 472 cities
#457 of 472 cities in South Carolina for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
3.1
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 3.1/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+0.7 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
43d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,261/mo. A contested eviction takes 43 days and costs $1,668-$4,363 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
39.5%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 38,371 residents, 39.5% rent. 36% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 16.9% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
2.8
Local + regional
The politics
Light-statute interior market.
Local & regional political climate score 3 and 2.5 (GOP margin +38.6% (2024)). State climate at 2.5, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
2.5
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 2.5/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 2.5, housing court bias 2.5, rent-control risk 1. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-2.5 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
5.5
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 5.5. Supply constraint: 4.5. The numbers behind those: 16.9% poverty, 4.3% unemployment, 36% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Myrtle Beach sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Myrtle Beach · 43d · ~$3.0k all-in ($70/day) · score 3.1National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0-4 4-7 7-10
Landlording in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 3.1/10 (LOW tier), drawn from the nine sub-axes shown above, covering rent-control exposure, eviction-process difficulty, housing-court bias, tenant-organizing strength, supply constraint, economic stress, and local, regional, and state political climate. This is not a quick-fix market: it's a Mid-tier market where lease drafting, screening discipline, and well-documented notices materially change outcomes.
Myrtle Beach is a city of 38,371 residents where 39.5% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 36.1% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,261/month, the typical renter household here spends more than the federal 30% threshold on housing, a leading indicator of payment volatility and a precondition for the kinds of tenant defenses that show up most often in housing court.
01Process
How Myrtle Beach eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 2.5/10, a number that combines statutory complexity (notice categories, just-cause rules, mandatory pre-filing disclosures) with operational realities (court calendar length and clerk responsiveness). The typical contested filing in Myrtle Beach closes 43 days after the initial notice. For non-payment of rent the first step is a properly-formatted, properly-served pay-or-quit notice; for material lease breaches it's a cure-or-quit; for tenancies under just-cause protection an at-fault grounds notice (or a no-fault notice with statutory relocation assistance) is required.
The slow part of Myrtle Beach's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 2.5/10 here, meaning judges read borderline procedural defects in the tenant's favor more often than the national norm. The practical implication: every notice and every proof of service needs to be airtight before it gets filed.
02Cost
What it costs (and how long it takes)
An all-in eviction in Myrtle Beach runs $1,668 to $4,363 per case once you account for filing fees, attorney time, lost rent during pendency, sheriff lockout, and unit turnover. That range is wide because the upper bound assumes a tenant answer plus motion practice, common when housing court bias is high. The lower bound assumes a default judgment after proper service.
For landlords running the numbers on holding costs vs. cash-for-keys: if your projected timeline times your monthly rent already exceeds the high-end cost number, cash-for-keys at 1-2 months' rent is typically the economically rational choice. With 43 days of typical timeline and $1,261/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 2/10 in Myrtle Beach, and the city has limited rent control exposure (1/10). Operations practice that survives audit in this environment looks like:
Screening discipline. Document income (verified at 2.5 to 3x rent), credit (with a clear minimum), and prior-tenancy reference checks, but do not screen on protected categories or source-of-income where banned. Keep a written, consistent screening criteria document for every applicant.
Lease specificity. Use a state-specific lease that names every term clearly: rent due date, late fees within statutory caps, deposit handling, smoke and CO disclosure, lead paint disclosure (pre-1978 stock), and a clean attorney's-fees clause.
Security deposit handling. Itemize deductions within the statutory window. Photograph move-in/move-out condition. In South Carolina, deposit cap and refund window are statute, so exceed them at your own risk.
Mid-tenancy documentation. Keep date-stamped records of every rent receipt, every habitability request, every notice served. The day you need them in court is too late to start.
04Strategy
What an everyday landlord should actually do here
If you own one to four units in Myrtle Beach: hire a property manager who knows the local court. The pricing differential between self-managing and hiring out is small relative to the cost of one botched eviction in a LOW tier market. If you own five or more: build relationships with a local landlord-side attorney before you need one, since retainer fees are negligible compared to emergency-rate billing when an eviction is already moving.
The avoidable mistakes here are all upstream of the filing: weak screening, an informal lease, sloppy rent receipts, and notice templates pulled off the internet that don't match South Carolina's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $4,363 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Myrtle Beach
Trap · 33.2 POINTS
Politically, Horry County voted Republican by 33.2 points in 2020, a baseline that correlates with landlord-neutral legislative pressure. Combined with 36.1% rent-to-income ratio, expect baseline enforcement of SC Code 27-40 RLTA.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I change the locks if a tenant doesn't pay rent?
No, absolutely not. Changing locks, shutting off utilities, or removing a tenant's belongings are considered "self-help" evictions and are illegal in South Carolina. You must follow the formal court process to legally remove a tenant. Doing otherwise can result in significant penalties.
Q2
What if my tenant damages the property beyond normal wear and tear?
You can deduct the cost of repairing damages from the security deposit. Make sure to document the condition of the property before the tenant moved in (photos, move-in checklist) and after they leave. Provide an itemized list of deductions to the tenant within 30 days, as required by S.C. Code § 27-40-410.
Q3
Do I need an attorney for an eviction in Myrtle Beach?
While you can represent yourself in magistrate court, it's highly recommended to consult with or hire an attorney, especially if it's your first eviction or if the tenant is contesting the eviction. An attorney ensures proper procedures are followed, potentially saving you time and money in the long run. The low eviction-process-difficulty score (2.5) means it's manageable, but expertise always helps.
Q4
Can I deny a tenant application based on their source of income?
In South Carolina, there are no statewide source-of-income protections. This means you can generally deny an applicant based on their source of income (e.g., if you don't accept Section 8 vouchers, and your property is not subject to other fair housing laws). However, you must apply your screening criteria consistently to all applicants to avoid discrimination based on protected classes like race, religion, or familial status. See our South Carolina tenant protections guide for more.
Q5
How much notice do I need to give to raise the rent?
For a month-to-month lease, you generally need to provide at least 30 days' written notice before increasing the rent. If you have a fixed-term lease, you cannot raise the rent until the lease term expires, unless the lease specifically allows for it. Always put rent increase notices in writing.
A 3.1/10 places Myrtle Beach in the 4th percentile of South Carolina cities on the Eviction Risk Score index. The score is the average of the nine sub-axes, all calibrated on a national 1 to 10 scale where 1 is most landlord-friendly and 10 is most tenant-protective. The 50-year reconstruction shows this score has climbed steadily since 1976, a structural drift driven by court-calendar growth, rent-control adoption, and the rise of tenant-side legal aid. The trajectory matters more than the snapshot: the score is the climate, not the weather.
Cities with similar eviction risk to Myrtle Beach (3.1/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
