Renting a House Near USC Columbia: Shandon, Rosewood and the Three-Unrelated Rule

Renting a house near USC Columbia comes down to one number before price: three. The City of Columbia's own rental permit application says "City ordinance permits no more than three unrelated individuals to reside in a dwelling unit," so a four-bedroom bungalow in Rosewood is, legally, a three-friend house. The Shandon and Rosewood houses on Find My Place list at $2,400 to $2,500 a month for three or four bedrooms, and South Carolina law gives your landlord 30 days to return the deposit.

Key Takeaways

• Three unrelated people per dwelling unit. That's the cap in Columbia, and bedroom count doesn't change it.
• In 2011 the South Carolina Supreme Court upheld the rule in a case about four USC students sharing one house near campus.
• Ask your landlord for the City of Columbia residential rental permit (it's $25 a unit a year, and it lists how many people live there).
• Your deposit comes back within 30 days of move-out, itemized. Wrongfully withheld? South Carolina lets you sue for three times that amount.
• Shandon's Duncan Street corner home lists at $2,500 for three bedrooms, roughly $833 each if that's the whole-house price.

What Renting a House Near USC Columbia Looks Like in 2026

Most student houses near USC sit in the older neighborhoods southeast of campus: Shandon along Devine Street, Rosewood farther out along Rosewood Drive, and Wales Garden just south of Five Points. Expect older single-family homes and an individual owner, not a leasing office. You'll find them next to the apartments on our South Carolina off-campus housing page, where every listing shows its distance to campus.

Three real listings, with the price each one shows (base rent only; none has posted fees yet):

• The Charming Shandon Corner Lot Home at 2829 Duncan Street: 3 beds, 1.5 baths, $2,500 a month, 1.5 miles from USC.
• Four bedrooms, two baths and $2,400 at the Fantastic Bungalow in Rosewood on Overbrook Drive (2.4 miles out). Split three ways, which is all the city allows for unrelated renters, that's $800 each, not $600.
• Five Points Home, a three-bedroom listing at 2221 Greene Street, lists from $1,650 and sits only 0.8 miles away.

All three are labeled "Whole Unit," and none lists more than one bedroom count, so there's no rent-by-bedroom curve to read. Ask the owner, in writing, whether the number is for the house or per person before your group starts dividing.

Want apartments and the Vista towers instead? Our guide to Five Points, the Vista and Olympia covers those.

Columbia's Three-Unrelated-Occupant Rule, in Plain English

No more than three unrelated people can live together in one house in Columbia. A family of six is fine. Four roommates from your Capstone floor are not.

The clearest statement of the rule comes from the city itself. Columbia's residential rental permit application makes every landlord affirm that "City ordinance permits no more than three unrelated individuals to reside in a dwelling unit," right next to the line where they write down how many occupants each unit has.

Does the rule apply in Shandon, Rosewood and Wales Garden?

Yes. The permit form states the limit for any dwelling unit and doesn't carve out neighborhoods, so a house on Duncan Street, Overbrook Drive or anywhere in Wales Garden is covered the same way. (If a house sits in an unusual zoning district or is legally split into separate units, call the city's zoning office and ask how it's classified. Don't take a landlord's word for it.)

The McMaster case: when four USC students were one too many

Four unrelated undergraduates were living in a house near USC owned by Peggy McMaster when a neighbor complained. The city's zoning administrator ordered occupancy cut to three within 30 days. The McMasters fought it, and in McMaster v. Columbia Board of Zoning Appeals (2011) the state Supreme Court sided with the city, calling the rule a legitimate way to control "mass student congestion."

That case was decided under the city's older zoning code. The current permit form shows the same three-person limit is still on the books.

How Columbia Enforces Occupancy Limits on Student Houses

Mostly by complaint. Carolina News and Reporter, USC's student newsroom, has reported that the city doesn't routinely inspect rental houses and finds most occupancy violations when a neighbor calls. The fix is a zoning violation notice telling the owner to get down to three within 30 days.

So who actually moves out? Someone in your group. Probably in the middle of the semester.

There's a second lever, aimed at the landlord. Under Section 5-330 of the city code, as amended by Ordinance 2021-089, zoning violations count as points against the rental permit: one point for a first offense, five for a repeat within 12 months, and ten for a serious one. Landlords racking up points tend to act fast.

"Just sign separate leases" doesn't solve it

Some landlords hand four friends four separate leases. The city's wording is about how many unrelated people reside in the unit, not how many contracts exist. Four separate leases still put four people in one house. Walk away from anyone who says to keep the fourth name off the paperwork.

The City of Columbia Rental Permit: Ask to See It

Every long-term rental unit in Columbia needs its own residential rental permit, renewed every 12 months. The fee is $25 per unit (waived for landlords with a city business license, which anyone running five or more units needs). Owners who live farther away must name a local agent within 45 miles of the city.

Ask for the permit before you sign. It proves the house is registered, gives you a local person to call when the AC dies in August, and shows how many occupants the landlord reported. If that number is three and your group is four, you found out early.

South Carolina Lease Law for House Renters: Deposits, Repairs and Entry

Thirty days. That's how long a South Carolina landlord has to return your security deposit, or send an itemized list of deductions, after the lease ends and you hand back the keys (or after you ask, if that's later), under S.C. Code § 27-40-410. Give them a forwarding address in writing. If they wrongfully keep it, you can recover three times the amount withheld plus attorney's fees.

The same Residential Landlord and Tenant Act doesn't put a cap on how big the deposit can be. On a whole-house lease, read who owes what if one roommate trashes a room.

Two more sections matter in an old Shandon house. Section 27-40-440 requires the landlord to keep heating, plumbing, electrical and cooling systems they supply in working order. Section 27-40-530 says they generally need to give 24 hours' notice before coming in, except in emergencies.

Fees count too. Our breakdown of hidden fees in student leases covers what to ask about before you sign.

A Pre-Signing Checklist for a House Near USC

• Count your group. More than three unrelated people? Split into two houses.
• Ask for the city rental permit and the name of the local agent.
• "Is $2,400 the whole house or per person?" Get the answer by text or email.
• Check who handles the yard, gutters and pest control.
• Read the lease with USC Student Legal Services if anything looks off (this article is general information, not legal advice).

Frequently Asked Questions About Renting a House Near USC Columbia

Can four friends rent a four-bedroom house in Columbia, SC?

Not if you're unrelated. Columbia's rental permit application says no more than three unrelated people can reside in a dwelling unit, and the extra bedroom doesn't change that.

How much does a house near USC cost per person?

$550 to $833 a month, if the listed rents are whole-house prices. Five Points Home works out to about $550 each for three people, and the Duncan Street home in Shandon to about $833. Utilities are extra.

How long does a South Carolina landlord have to return my deposit?

30 days after the lease ends and you give back possession, or after you demand it, whichever is later. Deductions have to be itemized in writing.

Is Shandon or Rosewood better for USC students?

Shandon if you want to bike to class; the Duncan Street listing is 1.5 miles from campus. Rosewood if you'll trade a longer drive (2.4 miles from the Overbrook bungalow) for more bedrooms per dollar. Just remember the fourth bedroom can't go to a fourth unrelated roommate.