All Forum Posts by: Corey Goldstein

Look, managing property isn’t rocket science, but it is a business. And like any business, if you ignore the fundamentals, you’ll get burned. I’ve seen smart owners lose tens of thousands because of poor management decisions, or worse, blind trust in third-party operators who don’t know (or care) how to protect the asset.

Here are the biggest property management blunders I see eating owners alive:

1. Lack of Oversight

Trust is great. But blind trust? That’s a liability. If you’re not reviewing reports, walking your property, or holding your manager accountable, you might as well throw money out the window.

2. Bad Tenants In, Good Tenants Out

Sloppy screening leads to evictions. And when your good tenants don’t get responses, don’t feel safe, or see maintenance being ignored? They’re gone. Vacancy costs you way more than a phone call.

3. Deferred Maintenance

If you’re putting off repairs to “save money,” you’re not saving—you’re bleeding. Small issues become capital expenses fast. Preventive maintenance is your cheapest insurance.

4. Zero Systems or Processes

Your property can’t run on vibes. If rent collection, lease renewals, move-outs, and maintenance requests don’t run like clockwork, you’ve got a management problem, not a tenant problem.

5. Poor Communication

Whether it’s ghosting tenants or not responding to ownership questions, silence kills trust. A tenant who feels ignored becomes a problem. An owner who feels ignored finds a new manager.

6. No Financial Clarity

If you don't know your NOI, occupancy rate, or when leases are expiring, you're not investing, you're gambling. Every dollar in or out needs to be tracked, reported, and understood.

7. High Staff Turnover

New faces every month? That's a red flag. Consistency builds community. High turnover kills it, and it usually means poor leadership or a toxic culture behind the scenes.

8. Legal & Compliance Lapses

You don’t need to be a lawyer, but your team better know landlord-tenant law cold. One wrong move, illegal notice, ADA slip-up, mishandled security deposit, and you're writing a fat check.

9. Letting Reputation Slide

In this review-driven world, your online presence matters. One-star Google and Yelp reviews from frustrated tenants will kill your leasing velocity, and your NOI, faster than you think.

10. Misaligned Incentives

If your management team's goals don't align with yours as the owner (e.g. maximizing NOI, reducing turnover, protecting the asset), you're not partners, you're adversaries.

Bottom line? If you own real estate, your property is a business. You need operators who understand that.

By Revaya | Property Management in South Carolina

Let’s talk facts, not headlines. According to March 2024 data, South Carolina leads the nation with a 20% eviction filing rate — that’s more than double the national average of 7.8%. In just one month, local courts across the state processed over 8,800 eviction filings.

Now before we jump to conclusions, it’s important to understand what this actually means from the perspective of those of us in the trenches — the landlords, the property managers, the people who are keeping the roof over people’s heads while trying to run a sustainable business.

Filing ≠ Ejecting

First off, an eviction filing is not an automatic removal. It’s simply the legal step a landlord must take when a tenant is in breach — usually for nonpayment of rent, but sometimes for other violations. A judge still has to rule on the matter. It’s a legal safeguard — not a hammer.

Where Are the Filings Happening?

Data shows urban counties file more frequently:

• Metro counties: 22% filing rate
• Rural counties: 18% filing rate

But the variation is wide. Dillon County, for instance, has a staggering 38% filing rate — that’s nearly double the state average. That’s not a landlord problem — that’s an economic and housing supply issue in a concentrated market.

Why the High Numbers?

Critics point to South Carolina’s $40 eviction filing fee, one of the lowest in the country. They argue this encourages landlords to file more frequently, even suggesting it's used as a "rent collection tool."

Let me be clear — no professional landlord wants to file an eviction. It’s time-consuming, costly (in more ways than one), and usually a last resort. But the reality is, without effective remedies and timely enforcement of lease agreements, small landlords — and even larger operators — can’t stay in business.

In markets like California, where filing fees start at $240 and processes drag out for months, the result is predictable: landlords exit the market, supply shrinks, rents climb. South Carolina’s system, while not perfect, at least allows for some level of enforcement that protects the long-term viability of rental housing.

What’s Really Going On

What we’re seeing is not exploitation — it’s the result of structural affordability issues, rising operating costs, and a growing disconnect between housing policy and economic reality. When a tenant doesn’t pay rent, that property still carries insurance, taxes, maintenance, and financing costs.

Landlords aren’t hedge funds — they’re often mom-and-pop investors trying to stay afloat.

Instead of vilifying landlords for using legal tools at their disposal, we should be having a broader conversation:

• How do we encourage consistent rent payment?
• How do we balance tenant protections with investor and owner protections?
• And how do we grow the supply of quality, attainable housing without punishing the people willing to build and manage it?

South Carolina’s numbers may seem high — but they reflect deeper economic truths that no filing fee tweak is going to solve.

In this business, whether you’re renting out a duplex in Columbia or a room in Rock Hill, one thing stays the same: you need to understand the law—cold.

As someone who’s built my career managing, developing, and investing in property across South Carolina, I’ve seen what happens when landlords guess, tenants overstep, and managers fail to run things by the book. It’s ugly, expensive, and almost always avoidable.

So let’s strip out the legal fluff and get to what matters. Here’s how the South Carolina Landlord-Tenant Act actually plays out in the real world.

For Tenants: Rights AND Responsibilities

Tenants have obligations. Period. Doesn’t matter if you’re renting a luxury loft or a small studio. Here’s what the law expects:

• Pay your rent—on time.

• Keep the unit clean and safe.

• Don’t damage the property or disturb others.

• Use appliances and utilities as intended.

• Give proper access when requested for inspections or repairs.

Landlords must give 24 hours' notice to enter (except in emergencies), and they’re expected to be reasonable about timing.

Now, if your landlord fails to fix serious issues (leaks, mold, no heat), here’s what you can do:

1. Give written notice.

2. Give 14 days to fix it.

3. If they ignore it, you can break the lease or sue for damages.

What you can’t do: withhold rent or make repairs and deduct the cost—unless you have written permission.

And when your lease ends? You want your deposit back? Give a forwarding address in writing. No address, no check.

For Landlords: Rights Come With Responsibilities

Too many landlords think the lease gives them a free pass. It doesn’t.

Here’s what SC law says you must do—no matter what the lease says:

• Keep the unit safe, clean, and livable.

• Maintain HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and appliances—unless the lease clearly shifts that burden.

• Provide heat, hot water, and running water (again, unless legally excluded).

• Maintain common areas in buildings with 4+ units.

Want to access the unit? Unless it’s an emergency, give 24 hours’ notice and show up at a reasonable time.

End of Lease: Handle Deposits Like a Pro

• You have 30 days to return the deposit—or send an itemized breakdown of what you deducted.

• If the tenant ghosted? Still try. Keep records. Courts want to see effort.

Evictions in South Carolina: There’s a Process

You can’t just change the locks or dump someone’s stuff at the curb. You need to follow legal steps or risk a lawsuit of your own.

You can evict for:

• Nonpayment of Rent: After a 5-day notice (unless waived in the lease).

• Lease Violations: Give 14 days to fix. If not, you can file.

• Unsafe Conditions Caused by Tenant: Same rule—14 days unless it’s urgent.

• Abandonment: No rent or contact for 15+ days? You can legally reclaim the unit.

• End of Lease: If they won’t leave, file for possession.

For weekly leases: give 7 days’ notice.
Month-to-month? 30 days.

Once the lease is legally ended, you can sue for damages—and if the tenant acted in bad faith, you can go after attorney’s fees too.

Final Take: Manage Smart or Pay Later

Whether you’re a landlord trying to protect your property or a tenant trying to protect your rights—the law is the law.

As a property manager, I’ve seen solid owners lose big just because they didn’t understand their responsibilities. I’ve also seen tenants get taken advantage of by landlords who didn’t think the rules applied to them.

Smart property management isn’t about being aggressive or soft—it’s about being legal, consistent, and fair.

As a real estate investor, developer and property manager here in South Carolina, I’ve had a front-row seat to how evictions play out—both when they’re handled legally and fairly, and when landlords cut corners and end up in costly legal trouble. If you’re a landlord, knowing when and how you can legally evict a tenant is critical to protecting your investment.

Let’s break it down using the South Carolina Residential Landlord and Tenant Act—the law that governs most residential rental situations in this state. This does not apply to commercial or business leases.

When Can a Landlord Legally Evict a Tenant?

1. Nonpayment of Rent
If a tenant doesn’t pay rent on time, the landlord has the right to begin the eviction process—after giving a written 5-day notice. If the tenant still hasn’t paid within those 5 days, you can proceed. But here’s the catch: landlords only need to give this written notice once per lease term unless the lease explicitly waives that requirement. If the lease clearly says no notice will be given for late rent, then you don’t have to give one.

2. Violation of the Lease (Beyond Rent)
If a tenant breaks the terms of the lease—say, keeping unauthorized pets, trash burning or violating quiet hours—you can terminate the lease and start eviction. First, you must give a written notice explaining the violation and allow 14 days to fix it. If they don’t comply within that window, or at least start the process in good faith, you’re within your rights to evict.

3. Failing to Maintain a Safe and Healthy Unit
Tenants have responsibilities too. If they’re causing damage or creating unsafe living conditions, you can step in. Again, written notice must be given with 14 days to correct the issue—unless it’s an emergency, in which case action must be taken immediately.

4. Abandonment
If a tenant goes MIA—no rent, no communication—for 15 days after rent is due, that’s considered abandonment. In this case, you can take possession of the unit without going through eviction court. If you re-rent the unit, the former tenant’s obligations end once the new lease begins. Make sure you have specific language inside your lease agreement that allows for you to act based on this claim!

5. Lease Expiration or No Set Term
If a lease has ended and the tenant refuses to leave, you can go to court to regain possession. For open-ended tenancies (month-to-month, week-to-week), proper notice is required: 7 days for weekly tenants, 30 days for monthly or other undefined terms.

After Eviction: What You Can Recover

Once the lease is lawfully terminated, the landlord has the right to possession of the unit and any unpaid rent. If there’s property damage or other breaches of the lease, you can file a separate claim for those damages and—yes—ask the court to make the tenant pay reasonable attorney’s fees.

Collecting on judgments is time consuming and often leads nowhere! In the next article, Ill share how we collect, so you don’t take a big loss.

Bottom line: whether you’re an investor managing your own portfolio or a landlord with one or two properties, knowing how to execute evictions properly is non-negotiable. Sloppy practices lead to lawsuits, turnover headaches, and financial losses.