Independent Living in South Carolina

With mild temperatures throughout the state and beaches along its Atlantic shoreline, South Carolina has much to offer as a retirement destination. The Greenville-Spartanburg area in the northwest corner of the state is an affordable, thriving metropolitan area for all ages. Along its Atlantic shorelines to the east, the Palmetto State earns its nickname with popular coastal cities like Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and Savannah. Senior living in South Carolina is filled with Southern hospitality and charm, which may explain why the state has a higher-than-average senior population.

Currently, A Place for Mom partners with more than 55 independent living communities, also simply called retirement communities, in South Carolina.

The median monthly cost of independent living in South Carolina is about $2,400.

South Carolina’s independent living communities can operate as stand-alone facilities, and they aren’t licensed by the state in this case. They can also operate as part of larger, combined assisted living communities known as community residential care facilities. These facilities are licensed by the Board of Health and Environmental Control’s Division of Health Licensing.^[01]

Some of the regulations that govern South Carolina’s community residential care facilities may impact your future independent living community. We outline some of these details below, and you can also review South Carolina assisted living laws and regulations for more information.

Resident rights

In most cases, you’ll rent your independent living unit similar to how you’d rent a traditional apartment. To respect your rights as a renter in South Carolina, the owner of your independent living community must follow the rules below:^[02]

• Be responsible for all repairs
• Keep all parts of the community in a healthy and safe condition
• Ensure running cold and hot water is accessible
• Make reasonable levels of heat and air conditioning available
• Keep all utilities, including electricity and gas, in safe working condition

Reasonable accommodations and modifications

Seniors with disabilities have additional rights under the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These rights include making reasonable accommodations and modifications to the independent living community and your individual unit.

Reasonable accommodations are changes to the facility’s policies that allow seniors with disabilities to better participate in and enjoy their community. Accommodations include assigning accessible parking spaces, making rent due date adjustments, and allowing a service animal to live with you regardless of a no-pet policy.^[03]

Reasonable modifications are physical changes that make the building easier to navigate and access. Examples include installing ramps, altering doorways to fit wheelchairs, and installing grab bars in bathrooms.^[03]

Building requirements

The building requirements below may apply to your South Carolina independent living community if it’s part of a community residential care facility:^[01]

• There can be no more than three seniors per unit.
• There must be at least one toilet for every six seniors.
• There must be at least one tub or shower for every eight seniors.

South Carolina Department of Health contact information

South Carolina Department of Public Health
2100 Bull St.
Columbia, SC 26201
Phone: 803-898-3301

Inspections

South Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services inspects all community residential care facilities before they’re licensed.^[01] If your independent living community is part of a community residential care facility, their inspection reports may give you peace of mind. They illustrate any past issues and how the community responded to them.

Contact the South Carolina Department of Public Health’s Freedom of Information Office at 803-898-7503 or make a Freedom of Information Act request to review the inspection reports of a community you’re interested in.