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Horry County resident tells council rising mobile-home lot rents leave owners with 'no way out'; council cites state limits on rent control
Summary
A resident told Horry County Council at its October meeting that lot rent increases and park ownership practices have left manufactured-home owners unable to sell or afford to stay; council members said state law prevents local rent caps and suggested legal avenues instead.
A resident of a Conway-area mobile-home park told Horry County Council that recent lot-rent increases amount to $10,514 a year for land that residents do not own and have created an ‘‘inescapable’’ financial squeeze.
"That is $10,514 a year for land that we do not own," the resident said, adding that neighbors trying to sell homes have met no buyers even after cutting prices sharply. The commenter described one household that listed a home at $120,000, reduced it to $65,000, and ultimately paid about $20,000 to move the unit to a park charging $425 in lot rent.
The resident said their park (identified in the comment as Conway Plantation, also called Carolina Tides) has about 16 homes for sale in a 300-home park and contrasted local offerings that charge about $850 a month with nearby parks that advertise indoor and outdoor pools, courts, and lawn maintenance for roughly $730.
The commenter said they had reached out to U.S. Senators Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham and news organizations and referenced pending state legislation ("bill 3346," and earlier efforts under bill 3264) addressing notice or rent limits for manufactured-home parks.
A council or staff speaker responded that the county lacks authority to impose rent controls under current South Carolina law: "there is no rent control statute currently in the state," and until the state changes those laws, the governing body has no power to set rents. Staff suggested that the resident consult lease documents and that litigation might be an outside option but said the county could not mandate rent levels.
The county chair closed the public-comment period after the exchange; councilmembers approved the rest of the agenda by acclamation.
Why it matters: Manufactured-home residents often own their homes but lease the land beneath them, which can make lot-rent spikes a major affordability risk. Local officials said policy changes would require state-level action; the resident urged more immediate remedies and said they had sought legal counsel and media attention.
What happens next: Council did not take legislative action on the issue during this meeting. The resident was offered the opportunity to speak with staff after the meeting and was directed to contact attorneys for potential civil remedies. No formal county follow-up or referral was recorded in the meeting minutes provided in the transcript.
