In court-decided eviction outcomes for Kingstree, SC, tenants prevail in roughly 18.4% 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
40d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Kingstree, SC until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 40 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.3–3.6k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Kingstree, SC costs landlords $1,347 to $3,567 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$546
29% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Kingstree, SC is $546 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 29% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
51.7%
of households
51.7% of occupied housing units in Kingstree, 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
34.5%
6.9% unemp.
34.5% of Kingstree, SC residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 6.9%. 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
Dem margin +21.7% (2024)
6.8
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
6.8
State political climate
South Carolina legislature & governorship
2.1
Economic stress
34.5% poverty · 6.9% unemp.
8.6
Supply constraint
$546 average · 51.7% renters
5.3
Rent Control risk
29.4% of income on rent
6.6
Eviction process difficulty
40 days filing → judgment
2.2
Tenant organizing strength
51.7% renters
9.3
Housing court bias
County bench composition
8.0
Geographic context
Risk heat across Kingstree and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Kingstree compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Williamsburg County
Very High
#1of 5 cities
#1 of 5 cities in Williamsburg County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in South Carolina
High
#63of 472 cities
#63 of 472 cities in South Carolina for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.9
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 2.9/10. 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
40d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $546/mo. A contested eviction takes 40 days and costs $1,347–$3,567 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
51.7%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 3,132 residents, 51.7% rent. 29% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 34.5% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
6.8
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 6.8 and 6.8 (Dem margin +21.7% (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 2.2, housing court bias 8, rent-control risk 6.6. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-2.8 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
8.6
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the real risk.
Economic stress: 8.6. Supply constraint: 5.3. The numbers behind those: 34.5% poverty, 6.9% unemployment, 29% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Kingstree sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Kingstree · 40d · ~$2.5k all-in ($61/day) · score 2.9National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Kingstree, South Carolina, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.9/10 (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.
Kingstree is a city of 3,132 residents where 51.7% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 29.4% of income on rent. At an average rent of $546/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 Kingstree eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 2.2/10, 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 Kingstree closes 40 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 Kingstree's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 8/10 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 Kingstree runs $1,347 to $3,567 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 40 days of typical timeline and $546/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 9.3/10 in Kingstree, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (6.6/10). 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 Kingstree: 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 $3,567 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Kingstree
Trap · 8/10
For landlords, the 6.5/10 score is most actionable when combined with Williamsburg County's specific court behavior. Housing-court bias sub-score: 8/10. Use proactive screening and documented notices.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What's the fastest way to get a tenant out in Kingstree?
The fastest legal way is usually through a "cash-for-keys" agreement, where you pay the tenant to move out quickly and amicably. Otherwise, you must follow the 5-day pay-or-quit notice for non-payment, then file in court. The average total timeline is 40 days, so there aren't many shortcuts.
Q2
Can I evict a tenant in Kingstree for no reason?
No. You need a legal reason. For a month-to-month lease, you can terminate with a 30-day notice without stating a specific "cause" like a lease violation, but you still can't do it for discriminatory or retaliatory reasons. For a fixed-term lease, you generally need a lease violation or the lease to expire.
Q3
How much notice do I need to give for non-payment of rent in South Carolina?
You must provide a 5-day pay-or-quit notice. This means the tenant has five days to pay the overdue rent or move out before you can file an eviction case in court. This is a strict legal requirement.
Q4
What if my tenant refuses to leave after the eviction order?
If the court grants an order of ejectment and the tenant still refuses to leave, you will need to involve the local sheriff's department. They will serve a writ of ejectment and physically remove the tenant and their belongings. Do not attempt to do this yourself.
Q5
Is there rent control in Kingstree, SC?
No, there is no statewide rent control in South Carolina, and Kingstree does not have local rent control ordinances. However, the "rent-control-risk" sub-score of 6.6/10 indicates a moderate underlying risk for future changes, so it's wise to stay informed on South Carolina rent control rules.
Q6
Do I need a lawyer for an eviction in Kingstree?
While not legally required, it's highly recommended, especially with Kingstree's "housing-court-bias" score of 8/10. An attorney can ensure you follow all procedures correctly, prevent costly mistakes, and represent your interests effectively in court. This often saves money and time in the long run. Also, be aware of broader South Carolina tenant protections.
A 2.9/10 places Kingstree in the 92nd 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 Kingstree (2.9/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
