In court-decided eviction outcomes for Cayce, SC, tenants prevail in roughly 25.0% 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
41d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Cayce, SC until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 41 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.3-4.0k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Cayce, SC costs landlords $1,285 to $4,005 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,360
30% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Cayce, SC is $1,360 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 30% 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 Cayce, 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
17.8%
5.3% unemp.
17.8% of Cayce, SC residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 5.3%. 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 +33.5% (2024)
7.2
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
7.2
State political climate
South Carolina legislature & governorship
2.1
Economic stress
17.8% poverty · 5.3% unemp.
7.2
Supply constraint
$1,360 average · 39.5% renters
8.1
Rent Control risk
29.8% of income on rent
6.0
Eviction process difficulty
41 days filing → judgment
2.4
Tenant organizing strength
39.5% renters
8.2
Housing court bias
County bench composition
6.7
Geographic context
Risk heat across Cayce and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Cayce compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Lexington County
Very High
#1of 21 cities
#1 of 21 cities in Lexington County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in South Carolina
High
#62of 472 cities
#62 of 472 cities in South Carolina for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
5.1
/ 10 · MODERATE
The verdict
A Moderate-tier market.
Composite 5.1/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+2.0 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
41d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,360/mo. A contested eviction takes 41 days and costs $1,285-$4,005 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 13,741 residents, 39.5% rent. 30% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 17.8% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
7.2
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 7.2 and 7.2 (GOP margin +33.5% (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 2.4, housing court bias 6.7, rent-control risk 6. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-2.6 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
7.2
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 7.2. Supply constraint: 8.1. The numbers behind those: 17.8% poverty, 5.3% unemployment, 30% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Cayce sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Cayce · 41d · ~$2.6k all-in ($65/day) · score 5.1National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0-4 4-7 7-10
Landlording in Cayce, South Carolina, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 5.1/10 (MODERATE 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.
Cayce is a city of 13,741 residents where 39.5% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 29.8% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,360/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 Cayce eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 2.4/10, 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 Cayce closes 41 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 Cayce's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 6.7/10 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 Cayce runs $1,285 to $4,005 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 41 days of typical timeline and $1,360/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 8.2/10 in Cayce, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (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 Cayce: 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 MODERATE 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 $4,005 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Cayce
Trap · 6/10
The 6.6/10 score weighs nine sub-factors including political climate, court bias, supply constraint, and tenant organizing strength. Cayce's rent-control-risk sub-score is 6/10, driven by demographic and political pressure for tenant relief.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant in Cayce without a reason?
Yes, South Carolina does not have a statewide "just-cause" eviction requirement. For month-to-month tenancies, you can terminate the lease with a 30-day written notice without providing a specific reason. For fixed-term leases, you'd generally need a lease violation or wait for the term to expire.
Q2
How long does a tenant have to move out after an eviction order in Cayce?
Once the court issues an eviction order (Writ of Ejectment), the tenant typically has a short period, often 24-48 hours, to vacate before the sheriff can physically remove them. The exact timing can vary slightly based on the magistrate's order and sheriff's schedule.
Q3
What are common landlord mistakes in Cayce evictions?
Common mistakes include not serving the correct 5-day notice properly, failing to keep meticulous records of rent payments and communications, attempting "self-help" evictions (like changing locks or shutting off utilities), and not following through with the sheriff if a tenant refuses to leave after a court order.
Q4
Is there rent control in Cayce, SC?
No, there is no rent control in Cayce or anywhere else in South Carolina. State law (S.C. Code § 27-40-230) generally prohibits local governments from enacting rent control measures. You can find more details in our South Carolina rent control rules.
Q5
Can I charge late fees in Cayce?
Yes, you can charge reasonable late fees in Cayce, provided they are clearly stated in your lease agreement. South Carolina law does not specify a maximum late fee amount, but courts generally expect them to be reasonable and not punitive.
Q6
What if my tenant claims a maintenance issue to avoid paying rent?
Tenants in South Carolina generally cannot withhold rent for maintenance issues unless they've given proper written notice to the landlord, and the landlord has failed to remedy the issue within 14 days (or a shorter time for emergencies). Even then, they must pay rent into an escrow account. This is a common tactic, so understand South Carolina tenant protections.
A 5.1/10 places Cayce in the 88th 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.
Neighborhoods in Cayce (1 with eviction-risk data)
Click a neighborhood to see its pop-weighted score, constituent census tracts, and demographics. Sorted by population.
