South Carolina Receives More Than 500 HOA Complaints From Unhappy Residents

Complaints are piling up against homeowners associations in South Carolina.

In 2025 alone, residents filed 568 complaints against HOAs, according to a report by the SC Department of Consumer Affairs.

SC Department of Consumer Affairs Communications Director Scott Cooke tells Realtor.com® that 339 of the complaints were filed against HOAs and management companies.

He says the top three complaints centered on failure to adhere to and/or enforce covenants and bylaws; concerns about maintenance and repairs; and ignored requests to access information or view documents.

Other complaints included: concerns about allocations of HOA funds; disagreements about HOA fees and special assessments; failure to produce financial statements; failure to notify residents of board's actions; issues related to HOA board elections; and requesting waivers or adjustments of violation assessments.

Complaints were filed in 23 of South Carolina’s 46 counties.

Residents' complaints run the gamut

Some of the complaints that the SC Department of Consumer Affairs received were shared with Realtor.com.

One resident wrote, "I recommend that it be required to have a separate president and vice president so that there is not one person running the entire neighborhood's governing laws and making decisions without any assistance or others' opinions. If this is unable to be done, I recommend it be a requirement for the president to set polls for the neighborhood to complete before making decisions for the entire neighborhood."

Another said they want to "be able to see information/spreadsheets of how money is being allocated" in their HOA, while another stated, "All board meetings need to be open to homeowners. Policy decisions and changes should not be done in secret."

A separate complaint read, "Make certain that everyone is treated with the same enforcing of rules and respect. Bullying and harassment is not an acceptable practice of management."

Several South Carolina residents also said they'd like to forbid their HOA from placing liens or foreclosing on people's properties.

Reaction to the study

On a Myrtle Beach, SC, Facebook page, a post about this HOA complaint study got more than 350 comments.

Two South Carolina residents shared own complaints about their HOAs.

"I was rejected to remove the pine mulch and put river rock down instead," Esther Essie Urban wrote. "One, because I think my dog is allergic and it just [attracts] bugs and two, it would make the property look better, so why would they deny that? I had no idea how strict the guidelines would be."

Rebekah C Tedder wrote, "We had a complaint from our HOA that said our car was parked in the driveway but touching the grass in the yard!"

Another resident said she likes her HOA, and believes the problems lie with the residents, not the homeowners associations themselves.

"I moved here [to South Carolina] 32 years ago and was very happy with the way things were, even living in a beautiful neighborhood governed by an HOA," Nancy Webber wrote. "I think those people who complain about them are those who don’t read the covenants and bylaws, break the rules, then cry victim when they get a warning letter."

One South Carolina woman shared the many reasons why she's happy she doesn't live in an HOA.

"I would much rather stay living in my junk of a neighborhood than a cookie cutter neighborhood of Karens. We mind our own business. Yes, a lot of my neighbors have heaping piles of junk in their yards and porches, but everyone is nice and nobody complains," Amber Forrester wrote. "It makes me feel more relaxed knowing that I can leave stuff outside without getting a fine. We all park in our grass. And you know what? It doesn’t affect our home sales. People still pay a lot to live without an HOA, regardless of the mess. I’m not buying a house just to have to be controlled."

Many people on social media said they believe HOAs in South Carolina should be banned altogether.

Prevalence of HOAs

According to Realtor.com, the share of homes for sale in the U.S. that were subject to a nonzero HOA fee in 2025 reached 43.6%, up from 41.9% in 2024 and 34.3% in 2019.

In South Carolina, that share of listings was 39.6%

The eighth most expensive metro with the highest HOA fees relative to home prices was Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC, where the HOA fees average $255, or 14.6% of the typical mortgage payment.

The median HOA fee nationwide was $135, up from $125 last year and $108 in 2019. 

Condos and townhomes are more likely to have HOAs than single family homes and new construction is more likely to have HOAs than existing homes, but the share of listings with HOAs is rising in all these categories in recent years.

Seamus Nally, CEO of TurboTenant, tells Realtor.com, "I think there are definitely pros and cons to HOAs, but it does seem like the majority of buyers would rather not buy a property in one, which is totally understandable. Sure, it can mean better neighborhood maintenance or community offerings, but it also means extra fees and sometimes a lot of strict rules."