Apartment Acquisitions · Columbia
Sell Your Commercial Property In Columbia, SC
Skyline Capital Investments buys commercial apartment buildings of 5+ units in Columbia and across Richland County — listed or off-market, stabilized or value-add. Get clear feedback on your deal, typically within 48 hours.
- Clear feedback on your deal, typically within 48 hours
- 5 to 100+ units, stabilized or distressed, listed or off-market
- Owners, agents, and brokers welcome — every conversation is confidential
We buy:Tired landlordsEstate & trust sales1031 exchangesDeferred maintenanceHigh vacancyPartnership splits
Neighborhoods & Nearby Towns: Five Points · West Columbia · Cayce · Irmo — Richland County and Lexington County, SC
The Columbia Market
What Drives Rentals In Columbia
Columbia is a renter-majority apartment market. Renters occupy 54.5% of Columbia's 53,076 occupied homes, per the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 American Community Survey. Median gross rent in Columbia was $1,204 a month over the same period. About 33.4% of Columbia housing units sit in buildings of five or more units.
Owners who plan to sell commercial property in Columbia, SC should price three local facts first. Columbia rentals are assessed at 6% of value under S.C. Code Section 12-43-220(e). The Richland County Auditor's 2025 millage schedule puts Columbia's district 1CC at 530.4 mills. A deed counts as an assessable transfer of interest, so a sale resets that value.
The University of South Carolina reported about 41,650 Columbia campus students in fall 2026. Fort Jackson trains half of the Army's Basic Combat Training load, and Prisma Health Richland Hospital has 641 beds. We buy 5+ unit buildings in Columbia, Five Points, West Columbia, Cayce and Irmo. Owners who want to sell multifamily property in Columbia can reach us directly.
University of South Carolina
USC reported about 41,650 students on its Columbia campus in fall 2026, per preliminary figures released September 1, 2026, up 2.5 percent from fall 2025.Fort Jackson training base
Fort Jackson trains 50 percent of the Army's Basic Combat Training load. It employs almost 3,500 civilians and has more than 3,500 active duty Soldiers assigned, per its official site.Healthcare and insurance employers
Prisma Health Richland Hospital in Columbia is a 641-bed teaching hospital and Level I trauma center. BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, headquartered in Columbia, calls itself one of the state's largest employers.Our Buy Box
What We Buy In Columbia
Asset Type
Multifamily, 5+ Units
Apartment buildings and income-producing residential.
Size
5 – 100+ Units
Sweet spot: 15–25 units.
Condition
Stabilized To Distressed
Value-add, mismanaged, and high-vacancy properties welcome.
Deal Types
Listed Or Off-Market
Direct-to-owner, pocket listings, portfolios.
Local Market Data
Columbia Apartment Market
Figures gathered October 2026 from public market data.
Who rents in Columbia
Renters occupy 54.5% of Columbia's occupied homes, per the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 American Community Survey. That equals 28,914 renter households out of 53,076 occupied homes in Columbia. Renters hold 39.7% of homes in Richland County and 22.6% in Lexington County over the same period.
Columbia's population was 139,643 in ACS 2020-2024. Columbia's FY2026-27 tax ordinance levies city taxes through both the Richland and Lexington county treasuries. Every figure below is labeled by place, and county medians are never averaged.
Three payrolls drive Columbia rental demand. The University of South Carolina reported about 41,650 students on its Columbia campus in fall 2026, per preliminary USC enrollment figures. Fort Jackson trains 50 percent of the Army's Basic Combat Training load and employs almost 3,500 civilians. Prisma Health Richland Hospital is a 641-bed teaching hospital and Level I trauma center.
Insurance adds office jobs in Columbia. BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina is headquartered in Columbia. Its company profile calls it one of South Carolina's largest employers.
Columbia rents against Columbia incomes
Median gross rent in Columbia was $1,204 a month in ACS 2020-2024, per table B25064. Richland County's median gross rent was $1,228 and Lexington County's was $1,178. Median household income was $55,529 in Columbia, $63,784 in Richland County and $77,408 in Lexington County.
Rent burden is heavy in Columbia. Some 55.3% of Columbia renter households paid 30% or more of income on housing, per ACS 2020-2024 table B25070. About 30.8% paid half or more. Richland County's 30%-plus share was 54.3%.
Under HUD's FY2027 fair market rents, effective October 1, 2026, Richland and Lexington counties share one area. HUD calls it the Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area:
| Unit size | HUD FY2027 FMR (per month) |
|---|---|
| Studio | $992 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,126 |
| 2 bedroom | $1,226 |
| 3 bedroom | $1,546 |
| 4 bedroom | $1,754 |
Source: HUD fair market rent documentation. The FY2027 two-bedroom rent of $1,226 is $50 below the FY2026 figure of $1,276, a 3.9% drop. Columbia's median gross rent of $1,204 sits $22 under that two-bedroom benchmark.
Inside the Columbia apartment stock
Columbia counts 20,723 housing units in buildings of five or more units, 33.4% of its 62,021 units. That comes from ACS 2020-2024 table B25024. Buildings of 50 or more units hold 7,536 of them. Buildings of 5 to 9 units hold 4,744, 10 to 19 hold 4,294 and 20 to 49 hold 4,149.
That density stands out in the Midlands. Richland County's 5+ unit share is 21.4%, Lexington County's is 7.3% and South Carolina's is 12.9%. Two-to-four unit buildings add another 6,590 units inside Columbia.
Columbia's median year built is 1980, per ACS 2020-2024 table B25035. Roughly 49.5% of Columbia units, or 30,676, predate 1980, per table B25034. Only 9,761 Columbia units, or 15.7%, were built in 2010 or later.
Rental vacancy in Columbia was 6.8% in ACS 2020-2024, per profile table DP04. Rental vacancy was 6.3% in Richland County, 4.0% in Lexington County and 8.3% statewide. Building age is the first item we check when an owner asks how to sell commercial property in Columbia, SC.
Property taxes on Columbia apartments in Richland County
Columbia apartment buildings held for rent are assessed at 6% of fair market value. S.C. Code Section 12-43-220(e) sets six percent for all other real property. Section 12-43-220(c)(1) limits the 4% ratio to a legal residence occupied by its owner.
The Richland County Auditor's 2025 millage schedule lists a total levy of 530.4 mills for district 1CC in Columbia. That total combines 102.7 countywide mills, 309.3 school operating and bond mills, and the 89.6-mill City of Columbia levy. Midlands Technical College, zoo bonds and fire service add the remaining 28.8 mills.
Columbia's FY2026-27 budget ordinance, adopted June 16, 2026, keeps the city levy at 89.6 mills. A $2,000,000 Columbia apartment building carries $120,000 in assessed value at the 6% ratio. At 530.4 mills, the 2025 bill is about $63,648, or 3.18% of value. The same building in Columbia's 2CC district, at 634.2 mills, owes about $76,104.
A sale resets that value. S.C. Code Section 12-37-3150(A)(1) lists a conveyance by deed as an assessable transfer of interest. Section 12-37-3140(B) limits reappraisal increases to 15% within five years, except in the year a transfer value is first taxed. That reset is the main tax question for anyone planning to sell commercial real estate in Columbia, SC.
Owners can object in writing within ninety days after the assessor mails a notice, under Section 12-60-2510(A)(3). South Carolina's deed recording fee is $1.85 per $500 of value under Section 12-24-10, or $7,400 on a $2,000,000 sale. Of that, $2,200 is the county share set in Section 12-24-90.
South Carolina landlord rules that apply in Columbia
Columbia cannot cap rents. S.C. Code Section 27-39-60 bars any county or municipal corporation from regulating rent on privately owned residential or commercial rental property. That ban dates to a 1985 act.
Columbia leases follow the South Carolina Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, Title 27, Chapter 40. Section 27-40-410 requires an itemized written notice of deposit deductions within thirty days after termination and delivery of possession. The section names no maximum deposit. A landlord who wrongly withholds a deposit can owe three times that amount plus attorney's fees.
Section 27-40-710(B) lets a landlord terminate when rent stays unpaid five days after it is due, following written notice. Other lease breaches get fourteen days' written notice to cure. Section 27-40-770 ends a month-to-month tenancy on thirty days' written notice. Under Section 27-40-450, a seller stays liable for deposits unless they pass to the buyer with written notice to tenants.
Columbia adds a local permit. Under Ordinance 2015-099, every residential rental property in Columbia needs a Residential Rental Permit before occupancy. Buildings of 5 or more units use the business application, and renewals expire each December 31.
What this means for a Columbia apartment owner
Columbia pairs a 54.5% renter share with 6.8% rental vacancy and no local rent cap. The cost a buyer underwrites is tax: 6% of the price at 530.4 mills in district 1CC, reset when the deed records.
If you plan to sell your apartment building in Columbia, our cap rate calculator shows how a reset tax bill moves value. Skyline Capital Investments buys 5+ unit buildings, listed or off-market, in Columbia, Five Points, West Columbia, Cayce and Irmo.
Owners ready to sell commercial property in Columbia, SC can start on our seller page, which explains how we review a building. A rent roll, the operating statement and the Richland County tax bill are enough to begin.
Good To Know
What Shapes A Columbia Offer
More about selling in South Carolina →Investing in Columbia? See apartment syndications in Columbia →
- At 530.4 mills on a 6% ratio, a $2,000,000 apartment building in Columbia's 1CC district owes about $63,648 a year in 2025 taxes.
- About 49.5% of Columbia housing units predate 1980, so capital reserves for roofs, wiring and plumbing weigh heavily in underwriting.
- A South Carolina deed is an assessable transfer of interest, so plan for a tax reset before you sell commercial real estate in Columbia, SC.
- Columbia requires a Residential Rental Permit for every rental property, and buildings of 5 or more units file the business application.
Seller Guides
Selling A Building In Columbia
Learn More
Taxes & Rules For Columbia Property
The South Carolina rules that shape any deal in Columbia: what a sale costs in tax, how buildings are taxed, what landlords must follow, and how to defer gains.
Columbia Seller FAQ
How do I sell commercial property in Columbia, SC without listing it?
Send us the trailing twelve-month rent roll, the operating statement and the latest Richland County tax bill. We underwrite taxes at 6% of the purchase price, because S.C. Code Section 12-37-3150 treats a deed as an assessable transfer of interest. Columbia's median gross rent was $1,204 a month in ACS 2020-2024. We review the building and reply in writing.
What tax bill will a buyer assume when I sell commercial real estate in Columbia, SC?
Expect a buyer to model 6% of the purchase price times the district millage. The Richland County Auditor's 2025 schedule lists 530.4 mills for district 1CC and 634.2 mills for district 2CC, both in Columbia. On a $2,000,000 sale, that is about $63,648 or $76,104 a year. Section 12-37-3140(B) lifts the 15% reappraisal cap in the year a transfer value is first taxed.
Does Columbia, SC have rent control?
No. S.C. Code Section 27-39-60 bars any county or municipal corporation from regulating the rent charged for privately owned residential or commercial rental property. That rule dates to a 1985 act. Columbia does require a Residential Rental Permit under Ordinance 2015-099, and renewals expire each December 31. Deposits and notice periods follow the South Carolina Residential Landlord and Tenant Act in Title 27, Chapter 40.
What is the average apartment rent in Columbia, SC?
Median gross rent in Columbia was $1,204 a month in the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 American Community Survey. Richland County's median was $1,228 and Lexington County's was $1,178. HUD's FY2027 fair market rents for the Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area are $1,126 for a one-bedroom and $1,226 for a two-bedroom. The two-bedroom figure fell from $1,276 in FY2026.
What happens to tenant security deposits when I sell my building?
Under S.C. Code Section 27-40-450, a landlord who sells stays liable for deposits unless the deposits move to the buyer and tenants get written notice. Anyone selling commercial property in Columbia should list each deposit by unit before closing. Section 27-40-410 separately requires itemized deductions within thirty days after a tenancy ends and possession returns.
Is now a good time to sell your apartment building in Columbia?
That depends on your hold period and debt. Columbia's rental vacancy was 6.8% in ACS 2020-2024, below the 8.3% South Carolina rate. HUD's FY2027 two-bedroom fair market rent for the Columbia area fell 3.9% from FY2026. A long hold also means a larger tax reset at sale, so price the new bill before you decide.
Do I need to fix up my Columbia building before selling?
No. We price in deferred maintenance, vacancy, and below-market rents ourselves, so you can sell the property as it stands.
Can I sell my Columbia apartment building off-market?
Yes. We work directly with owners and through listing agents. Off-market conversations are confidential, and we coordinate tours so tenants and staff are not disrupted.
Who buys occupied rental property in Columbia?
We do. Skyline Capital Investments is a commercial real estate buyer of 5+ unit multifamily, and we buy apartment buildings with tenants in place, including properties with below-market rents.
What do I need to sell my apartment building in Columbia?
An address and unit count are enough to start. A current rent roll and trailing twelve-month statement let us move to a written offer faster.
Submit A Deal
Selling A Building In Columbia?
A few details are enough to start. We respond to every Columbia submission, including off-market and pocket listings.
