Can zoning laws change?

South Carolina residents looking to invest their hard-earned money into a new business or to buy a new home need to ensure that they are getting their real estate in the right place. Real property can only be used in certain ways, dictated by laws that are called zoning laws or ordinances. They define the type of developmental and operational use of law that is allowed in any given location.

Zoning laws exist to ensure a number of things, such as manage the flow of traffic, control noise levels or even protect certain resources. This is why one often sees residential homes bunched together in one par of town and commercial buildings on another. Zoning laws also often restrict the details of construction in certain areas-the height of a building or the distance from one building to another could be outlined in zoning laws as well, regardless of the type of building it is.

Zoning laws can also change, but this often causes friction between the current landlords and prospective tenants. Since zoning laws have the nature to change the structure of the whole community-from commercial to residential and vice versa-existing residents may have to relocate because of the changes. It is also possible that there are some laws included in the ordinance to protect current residents but not prospective ones.

Keeping up to date with zoning ordinances is just one aspect of real estate that prospective business owners and property owners should do, but may not even be aware that they need to. it might be helpful to consult an experienced attorney for guidance to ensure they are buying their property in the right zone and that their property will be exempted from zone changes.