The law in plain English
Return deadline
Under S.C. Code Section 27-40-410, the deposit response usually has to be sent within 30 days of the move-out timeline described by the state rule.
Required notice
South Carolina generally does not impose a statewide deposit cap, and the landlord usually has 30 days to return the deposit and provide written notice of deductions before the enhanced willful-noncompliance penalty becomes part of the dispute.
This dispute type
In South Carolina, renters usually challenge deposit deductions for scuffs, faded paint, flattened carpet, and similar aging because those issues look more like ordinary use than repairable damage. The statute still controls when the refund had to be sent and how deductions had to be explained.
Penalty leverage
If the withholding was wrongful or in bad faith, the exposure allowed under the statute is: Willful noncompliance: you can recover up to three times (3x) the amount wrongfully withheld, plus attorney's fees