Security deposit return deadline in Delaware
A Delaware landlord has 20 days after the tenancy ends to return a security deposit or send a written list of what was kept.
- Deadline
- 20 days
- What the landlord must send
- Within 20 days the landlord must give an itemized list of damages with estimated repair costs and pay the difference; without the list, the landlord is treated as admitting nothing is owed.
- If the landlord gets it wrong
- Failure to return the deposit or balance within 20 days entitles the tenant to double the amount wrongfully withheld.
- Deposit limit
- 1 month’s rent for leases of 1 year or more, and for month-to-month tenancies after the first year
A tenant who accepts a payment sent with the itemized list has 10 days to object in writing, or the list is treated as agreed.
The law
25 Del. C. § 5514. Read the statute.
Checked against the statute in October 2026. Laws change, so confirm the current rule before you rely on it.
What to do next
If the deadline has passed, or the landlord kept money without a proper list, put your request in writing. Ask for the deposit back by a specific date, and keep a copy. The free first letter in the Deposit Demand Letters kit does this for Delaware, and the deadline calculator works out your exact date from your move-out day.
Other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
General information about Delaware law, not legal advice, and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Deposit Demand Letters is a self-help template kit from Kits For That.