Tenant Protection Act of 2026

2025-2026 Bill 5011: Tenant Protection Act of 2026 - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 5011
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Herbkersman, Gatch, Brewer, Ford, Robbins and M.M. Smith
Companion/Similar bill(s): 3951
Document Path: LC-0402DG26.docx
Introduced in the House on January 22, 2026
Currently residing in the House
Summary: Tenant Protection Act of 2026
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

1/22/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 29
)

1/22/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Ways and Means
(
House Journal-page 29
)

4/14/2026

House

Member(s) request name added as sponsor: M.M. Smith

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
01/22/2026

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS SO AS TO ENACT
THE "TENANT PROTECTION ACT OF 2026" BY ADDING SECTION
12-37-3137
SO AS TO
PROVIDE A PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION LIMITING THE INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAX VALUE
FOLLOWING AN ASSESSABLE TRANSFER OF INTEREST.

B
e it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

S
ECTION 1.
This act may be cited as the "Tenant Protection Act of 2026."

S
ECTION 2.
A
rticle 25, Chapter 37, Title 12 of the S.C. Code is
amended by adding:

S
ection
12-37-3137
.
(
A)(1) When a parcel
of real property and any improvements thereon which is currently subject to
property tax undergoes an assessable transfer of interest after 2025, there is
allowed an exemption from property tax an amount sufficient so that the
exemption value does not exceed one hundred and ten percent of the property tax
value. Calculation of property tax value for such parcels is based on exemption
value. The exemption allowed by this section applies at the time the ATI fair
market value first applies.

(
2)
For purposes of this section, exemption value, property tax value, and ATI fair
market value have the same meaning as provided in Section
12-37-3135
.

(
B) A
taxpayer may elect to claim the exemption allowed by this section instead of
the exemption allowed pursuant to Section
12-37-3135
. The exemption allowed by
this section does not apply unless the owner of the property, or the owner's
agent, notifies the county assessor of the election to claim the exemption
before January thirty-first for the tax year for which the owner first claims
eligibility for the exemption. No further notifications to claim the exemption are
necessary from the current owner.

S
ECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor and first applies to property tax years beginning after 2025.

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This web page was last updated on January 22, 2026 at 10:48 AM