Security deposit deadline checker
Pick your state and the date you moved out to see how long your landlord has to return your deposit, and the date that works out to.
If the deadline has passed and you have nothing back
- Make sure your landlord has your forwarding address in writing. In several states the clock starts when you provide it.
- Send a written request first. Many landlords pay once they see you know the deadline.
- Normal wear and tear (faded paint, small nail holes, worn carpet) is not deductible in any state.
- If they ignore you, file in small claims court. Deposit cases are routine there, and you don’t need a lawyer. Check your state’s limit with the free small claims lookup.
Every state at a glance
The short version for all 50 states and D.C. Choose a state for the details, the statute and what to do next.
| State | Deadline | If the landlord gets it wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 60 days | If the landlord misses the 60-day deadline, the landlord must pay the tenant double the original deposit. |
| Alaska | 14 days (30 if deductions for damage, or if the tenant did not give proper notice) | If the landlord willfully fails to comply, the tenant may recover up to twice the amount withheld. |
| Arizona | 14 business days | If the landlord fails to comply, the tenant can recover the amount due plus damages equal to twice the amount wrongfully withheld. |
| Arkansas | 60 days | Failure to return the deposit can cost the landlord twice the amount wrongfully withheld, plus costs and attorney fees. |
| California | 21 days | Bad faith retention can cost the landlord up to twice the deposit in statutory damages, plus actual damages. |
| Colorado | 30 days (up to 60 if the lease says so) | Failing to give the statement forfeits the right to keep any of it; wrongful retention makes the landlord liable for three times the amount wrongfully withheld, after the tenant gives 7 days’ notice of intent to sue. |
| Connecticut | 21 days (or 15 after you give a forwarding address, whichever is later) | A landlord who violates the return rules is liable for twice the deposit; if the only violation is unpaid interest, the penalty is $10 or twice the interest, whichever is greater. |
| Delaware | 20 days | Failure to return the deposit or balance within 20 days entitles the tenant to double the amount wrongfully withheld. |
| Florida | 15 days (30 to give notice of deductions) | If the landlord misses the 30-day notice, the landlord forfeits the right to impose a claim on the deposit, though it can still sue for damages after returning it. |
| Georgia | 30 days | Missing the deadlines forfeits the right to keep any of it; a landlord who improperly withholds owes three times the amount improperly withheld plus attorney fees, unless it proves a bona fide error. |
| Hawaii | 14 days | If the notice is late the landlord must return the whole deposit; a court may award up to three times the deposit wrongfully and willfully kept. |
| Idaho | 21 days (up to 30 if agreed in writing) | The statute sets no multiple; the tenant can sue for the amount wrongfully kept. |
| Illinois | 30-45 days (5+ unit buildings) | A landlord who refuses to supply the statement or return the deposit owes twice the deposit plus court costs and attorney fees. |
| Indiana | 45 days | If the landlord fails to comply, the tenant can recover the full deposit owed plus reasonable attorney fees. |
| Iowa | 30 days | Missing the deadline forfeits the right to keep any of it; bad faith can add punitive damages up to twice the monthly rent, plus actual damages. |
| Kansas | 30 days | If the landlord fails to comply, the tenant can recover the amount due plus damages of 1.5 times the amount wrongfully withheld. |
| Kentucky | No return deadline in the statute (applies only where a city or county adopted the landlord-tenant act) | A landlord who did not keep the deposit in a separate account and provide both move-in and move-out damage lists cannot keep any of it. |
| Louisiana | 1 month (itemized statement of deductions may come up to 15 days later) | Willful failure lets the tenant recover the amount wrongfully kept plus the greater of $300 or twice that amount; not paying within 30 days of a written demand counts as willful. |
| Maine | 30 days (21 for tenancy at will) | Missing the deadline forfeits the right to keep any of it; wrongful retention makes the landlord liable for double the amount wrongfully withheld, plus attorney fees and court costs. |
| Maryland | 45 days | Withholding without a reasonable basis can cost up to three times the withheld amount, plus attorney fees. |
| Massachusetts | 30 days | For certain violations the tenant is awarded three times the deposit, plus 5% interest, court costs and attorney fees. |
| Michigan | 30 days | A landlord who does not return the balance or sue within 45 days waives the damage claims and owes double the amount retained. |
| Minnesota | 21 days | The landlord owes a penalty equal to the amount withheld plus interest, and up to $500 more for bad faith. |
| Mississippi | 45 days | Keeping the deposit without good faith can add damages up to $200 plus actual damages. |
| Missouri | 30 days | Wrongful withholding lets the tenant recover twice the amount wrongfully withheld. |
| Montana | 10 days (30 if deductions) | Failing to give the list forfeits the right to deduct for damage and cleaning; a landlord who wrongfully withholds is liable for the amount wrongfully withheld, and the court may award attorney fees. |
| Nebraska | 14 days | The tenant recovers what is due plus costs and attorney fees; willful, bad-faith failure adds the lesser of one month’s rent or twice the deposit. |
| Nevada | 30 days | A landlord who fails to return the remainder owes the entire deposit plus up to the deposit amount again, set by the court. |
| New Hampshire | 30 days | A landlord who does not comply owes twice the deposit plus interest due, less lawful charges. |
| New Jersey | 30 days | The tenant recovers double the amount owed, plus court costs and, at the court’s discretion, attorney fees. |
| New Mexico | 30 days | Missing the deadline forfeits the right to keep any of it and makes the landlord liable for court costs and attorney fees; bad faith adds a $250 civil penalty. |
| New York | 14 days | Missing the 14 days forfeits the right to keep any part; willful violations can bring punitive damages up to twice the deposit. |
| North Carolina | 30 days (60 with interim notice) | Willful failure voids the right to keep any of the deposit; the tenant can also recover damages, and the court may award attorney fees. |
| North Dakota | 30 days | A landlord is liable for three times any deposit money withheld without reasonable justification. |
| Ohio | 30 days | The tenant recovers the amount due plus damages equal to the amount wrongfully withheld, and attorney fees. |
| Oklahoma | 45 days (after written demand) | If the landlord does not comply, the tenant may recover the deposit and any prepaid rent; misappropriating escrowed deposit money is a crime. |
| Oregon | 31 days | The tenant can recover twice the amount withheld without a written accounting or withheld in bad faith. |
| Pennsylvania | 30 days | No list in 30 days forfeits the right to keep any of it; failing to pay the difference makes the landlord liable for double the amount owed. |
| Rhode Island | 20 days | The tenant recovers the amount due plus twice the amount wrongfully withheld, and attorney fees. |
| South Carolina | 30 days | The tenant can recover three times the amount wrongfully withheld plus attorney fees. |
| South Dakota | 21 days (45 for itemized accounting on request) | Failing to comply forfeits the right to keep any of it; bad faith can add punitive damages up to $200. |
| Tennessee | No fixed return deadline (applies in counties covered by the landlord-tenant act) | A landlord who did not keep the deposit in a separate account and provide the damage list cannot keep any of it. |
| Texas | 30 days | Bad-faith retention costs $100 plus three times the amount wrongfully withheld, plus attorney fees. |
| Utah | 30 days | If the landlord still does not comply within 5 business days after the tenant serves the statutory notice, the landlord owes the full deposit, prepaid rent and a $100 penalty, plus fees for bad faith. |
| Vermont | 14 days (60 for some seasonal rentals) | Missing the deadline forfeits the right to keep any of it; willful failure costs double the amount wrongfully withheld, plus attorney fees. |
| Virginia | 45 days | Willful failure lets the court order return of the deposit plus actual damages and attorney fees. |
| Washington | 30 days | Missing the deadline makes the landlord liable for the full deposit; intentional refusal can bring up to twice the deposit, plus attorney fees. |
| Washington, D.C. | 45 days | Under the D.C. deposit regulations, bad-faith retention can bring treble damages. |
| West Virginia | 60 days (or 45 after a new tenant moves in, whichever is shorter) | The tenant can recover the unreturned deposit plus damages of 1.5 times the amount wrongfully withheld. |
| Wisconsin | 21 days | A tenant who suffers a loss from a violation of the state’s rental practices rules can sue under Wis. Stat. § 100.20(5) for twice the loss, plus costs and attorney fees. |
| Wyoming | 30 days (or 15 after you give a new address, whichever is later; 30 more if there is damage) | If the landlord unreasonably fails to comply, the tenant can recover the full deposit and court costs. |
Kits For That is not a law firm, and nothing here is legal advice. Deadlines and penalties are approximate summaries of state statutes, and the dates are estimates that can change with your circumstances (deductions, forwarding addresses, lease terms). This checker is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney, so check your state’s current statute. Facts checked against each state’s statute in October 2026.