In court-decided eviction outcomes for Red Hill, SC, tenants prevail in roughly 19.4% 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
42d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Red Hill, SC until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 42 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.6–4.4k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Red Hill, SC costs landlords $1,581 to $4,408 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,179
24% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Red Hill, SC is $1,179 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 24% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
25.5%
of households
25.5% of occupied housing units in Red Hill, 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
22.6%
6.6% unemp.
22.6% of Red Hill, SC residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 6.6%. 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)
4.0
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
4.0
State political climate
South Carolina legislature & governorship
2.1
Economic stress
22.6% poverty · 6.6% unemp.
8.0
Supply constraint
$1,179 average · 25.5% renters
6.2
Rent Control risk
24.3% of income on rent
5.6
Eviction process difficulty
42 days filing → judgment
2.3
Tenant organizing strength
25.5% renters
5.8
Housing court bias
County bench composition
7.0
Geographic context
Risk heat across Red Hill and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Red Hill compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Horry County
Elevated
#7of 20 cities
#7 of 20 cities in Horry County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in South Carolina
Elevated
#195of 472 cities
#195 of 472 cities in South Carolina for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.6
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 2.6/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend-0.3 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
42d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,179/mo. A contested eviction takes 42 days and costs $1,581–$4,408 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
25.5%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 15,920 residents, 25.5% rent. 24% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 22.6% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
4
Local + regional
The politics
Light-statute interior market.
Local & regional political climate score 4 and 4 (GOP margin +38.6% (2024)). State climate at 2.1, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
2.1
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 2.1/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 2.3, housing court bias 7, rent-control risk 5.6. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-2.7 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
8
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the real risk.
Economic stress: 8. Supply constraint: 6.2. The numbers behind those: 22.6% poverty, 6.6% unemployment, 24% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Red Hill sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Red Hill · 42d · ~$3.0k all-in ($71/day) · score 2.6National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Red Hill, South Carolina, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.6/10 (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.
Red Hill is a city of 15,920 residents where 25.5% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 24.3% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,179/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 Red Hill eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 2.3/10, 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 Red Hill closes 42 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 Red Hill's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 7/10 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 Red Hill runs $1,581 to $4,408 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 42 days of typical timeline and $1,179/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 5.8/10 in Red Hill, and the city has limited rent control exposure (5.6/10). 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 Red Hill: 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 $4,408 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Red Hill
Trap · PRACTICAL TRAP
Cost-versus-timeline trade-off: at 42 days and roughly $4,408 on the high end, cash-for-keys at $1,763 to $2,644 typically beats the legal route for non-aggravated cases. Default judgment frequency is high under SC Code 27-40 RLTA.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my tenant claims a maintenance issue as a reason for not paying rent?
In South Carolina, tenants generally cannot withhold rent for maintenance issues unless the landlord has been given proper written notice and failed to make repairs within 14 days, or as quickly as conditions require in emergencies. Even then, they usually must place the rent in escrow with the court. If your tenant tries this, document your repair efforts and any communication. Don't let them use it as an excuse to avoid payment.
Q2
Can I increase the rent in Red Hill? Are there rent control laws?
No, there are no statewide rent control laws in South Carolina, and specifically not in Red Hill. This means you are generally free to set your rent at market rates. However, for existing tenants, you must provide proper notice, typically 30 days for month-to-month leases, before increasing the rent. Always check your lease for any specific notice requirements. For more, see South Carolina rent control rules.
Q3
How long does it take for the sheriff to actually remove a tenant after a Writ of Ejectment is issued?
After the court issues a Writ of Ejectment, the timeline for the sheriff's lockout can vary. It often takes a few days to a week for the sheriff to serve the writ, giving the tenant a final opportunity to leave. If they don't leave, the sheriff will schedule a physical lockout, which typically occurs within another few days to a week. The exact timing depends on the sheriff's department's workload in Horry County.
Q4
Should I accept partial rent payments during an eviction?
Generally, no. Accepting a partial rent payment after you've issued a notice can sometimes be interpreted by a court as waiving your right to evict for that month's non-payment. If you do accept a partial payment, ensure you have a clear, written agreement stating that it does not waive your right to continue the eviction process and that the tenant still owes the full balance. It's often safer to consult an attorney before accepting partial payments during an active eviction case.
Q5
What if the tenant abandons the property during the eviction process?
If you believe the tenant has abandoned the property (e.g., removed all belongings, stopped utilities, no response), you can typically regain possession without completing the full eviction process. However, you must be certain of abandonment to avoid an illegal lockout claim. South Carolina law provides specific conditions for determining abandonment. Document everything, take photos, and if unsure, get legal advice before changing locks or re-renting. If there are personal belongings left, you must follow specific procedures for their storage and disposal.
A 2.6/10 places Red Hill in the 66th 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 Red Hill (2.6/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
