Security Deposit Return Deadlines by State
Every state sets a deadline for landlords to return a tenant's security deposit — or send an itemized statement of deductions — after the tenancy ends. The table below shows each state's general deadline with a link to the official source, so you can verify your state's rule yourself before acting on it.
Start with our security deposit basics guide for what landlords can deduct and the steps that get deposits back, and use thedemand letter template when the deadline has passed.
Look up your state's deadline
Pick your state — add your move-out date and we'll estimate the exact due date.
Official sourceDeadline passed? Send a demand letter →
Estimate only: some states start the clock at lease end, delivery of possession, or your forwarding-address notice rather than move-out day, and conditions can change the deadline. The linked statute controls — verify before acting.
| State | Deadline | Notes & conditions | Statute & source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 60 days | 60 days after termination of tenancy and delivery of possession — Itemized list of amounts withheld required within the same 60-day period; landlord who fails to mail a timely refund or accounting within 60 days owes the tenant double the original deposit; deposits unclaimed by the tenant (and outstanding checks) are forfeited after 90 days | Ala. Code § 35-9A-201 |
| Alaska | 14 days | 14 days after termination and delivery of possession (with proper tenant notice); 30 days if deductions are made for damage beyond normal wear and tear or if the tenant failed to give proper notice — Willful failure to comply exposes landlord to double the amount wrongfully withheld; itemized statement required | Alaska Stat. § 34.03.070 |
| Arizona | 14 days | 14 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, after termination, delivery of possession and demand by the tenant — Days exclude weekends and legal holidays; itemized list of deductions required with any amount due | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 33-1321(D) |
| Arkansas | 60 days | 60 days after termination of tenancy — Security deposit statute applies only to landlords with six or more rental units; unclaimed deposits forfeited 180 days after mailing | Ark. Code § 18-16-305 |
| California | 21 days | No later than 21 calendar days after the tenant has vacated the premises — Itemized statement plus copies of receipts required if deductions exceed $125; tenant may request initial move-out inspection | Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(h) |
| Colorado | 30 days | One month after termination of the lease or surrender of the premises, unless the lease specifies a longer period up to 60 days — Lease may extend the deadline to a maximum of 60 days; 72 hours (excluding weekends/holidays) if tenant vacates due to hazardous gas condition | Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 38-12-103, 38-12-104 |
| Connecticut | 21 days | 21 days after termination of tenancy or 15 days after receiving the tenant's forwarding address, whichever is later — Deadline shortened from 30 to 21 days effective Oct. 1, 2023; deposit must be returned with accrued interest; failure to comply can make the landlord liable for twice the deposit | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(d) |
| Delaware | 20 days | 20 days after expiration or termination of the rental agreement — Itemized list of damages must accompany any withholding; failure to comply doubles the amount recoverable by tenant | 25 Del. C. § 5514(e)-(g) |
| District of Columbia | 45 days | 45 days after termination of tenancy to return the deposit or give notice of intent to withhold — If landlord gives notice of intent to withhold, itemized statement of repairs must follow within 30 days of that notice; deposit earns interest | 14 DCMR §§ 308-311 |
| Florida | 15 days | 15 days to return the deposit if no claim is made; 30 days to give written notice of intent to impose a claim on the deposit — If landlord gives 30-day claim notice, tenant has 15 days to object; failure to give timely notice forfeits the right to claim | Fla. Stat. § 83.49(3) |
| Georgia | 30 days | One month after termination of the residential lease or surrender and acceptance of the premises — Itemized list of damages required; landlords owning more than ten units must hold deposits in escrow | O.C.G.A. § 44-7-34 |
| Hawaii | 14 days | 14 days after termination of the rental agreement — Written notice with itemized deductions and evidence of costs required; failure to comply forfeits right to withhold | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44(c) |
| Idaho | 21 days | 21 days after the lease ends to return the deposit (or partial refund with a written statement of deductions); the parties may agree in writing to a different period, not longer than 30 days — Written statement listing amounts deducted and how they were spent required; tenant remedy includes treble damages for wrongful retention | Idaho Code § 6-321 |
| Illinois | 45 days | 45 days after the tenant vacates to return the deposit in full if no itemized statement of damages is furnished; 30 days (from vacating or end of right of possession, whichever is later) to furnish the itemized statement when withholding, with receipts within 30 days after the statement — P.A. 103-224 (eff. Jan 1, 2024) removed the old 5-or-more-units threshold — the Security Deposit Return Act now applies to residential real property generally; bad-faith noncompliance exposes lessor to twice the deposit plus court costs and attorney fees; local ordinances such as Chicago RLTO impose their own stricter rules | 765 ILCS 710/1 |
| Indiana | 45 days | Not more than 45 days after termination of occupancy: landlord must mail an itemized list of damages and a check for the balance of the deposit — Failure to provide the notice of damages within 45 days constitutes agreement that no damages are due and requires remittance of the full deposit | Ind. Code §§ 32-31-3-12, 32-31-3-14 |
| Iowa | 30 days | 30 days from termination of the tenancy and receipt of the tenant's mailing address or delivery instructions — Clock does not start until tenant provides a mailing address; deposit reverts to landlord if no address provided within one year; bad-faith retention exposes landlord to punitive damages up to twice the monthly rent | Iowa Code § 562A.12(3) |
| Kansas | 30 days | Within 14 days after determination of deductions, but in no event more than 30 days after termination, delivery of possession and demand by the tenant — Two-tier rule: 14 days after landlord determines deductions, capped at 30 days overall | Kan. Stat. § 58-2550 |
| Kentucky | No fixed deadline | No fixed statutory deadline to return the deposit; landlord must notify the tenant of any refund due, and the tenant forfeits the refund if no response within 60 days of notification — KRS Chapter 383 (URLTA) applies only in cities/counties that have adopted it; itemized listing of damages required | Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.580 |
| Louisiana | 30 days | One month after the lease terminates — Itemized statement required for any retained portion; willful failure exposes lessor to damages up to $300 or twice the wrongfully withheld amount, whichever is greater | La. Rev. Stat. § 9:3251 |
| Maine | 30 days | Within the time stated in a written rental agreement, not to exceed 30 days; 21 days for a tenancy at will — Dual deadline: 30 days maximum under written leases, 21 days for tenancies at will; failure to comply forfeits right to withhold | 14 M.R.S. § 6033 |
| Maryland | 45 days | 45 days after the end of the tenancy, with simple interest; itemized list of damages must also be sent within 45 days — Deposit returned with interest; failure to comply without good cause can expose landlord to up to three times the withheld amount plus attorney fees | Md. Real Prop. Code § 8-203(e), (g) |
| Massachusetts | 30 days | 30 days after termination of occupancy under a tenancy-at-will or the end of the tenancy specified in a written lease — Deposit returned with interest; itemized list of damages must be sworn to under penalty of perjury with repair estimates; wrongful retention can trigger treble damages plus attorney fees | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 15B(4) |
| Michigan | 30 days | 30 days after termination of occupancy to return the deposit or mail an itemized list of damages — Tenant must provide a forwarding address within 4 days of moving out; tenant has 7 days to respond to the itemized list; landlord must sue within 45 days to keep disputed amounts | Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.609 |
| Minnesota | 21 days | Three weeks (21 days) after termination of the tenancy, with interest — Five days if the tenant must leave because the building is legally condemned (through no fault of the tenant); written statement of reasons required for any withholding | Minn. Stat. § 504B.178, subd. 3 |
| Mississippi | 45 days | 45 days after termination of the tenancy — Written itemized notice required for any amount claimed from the deposit; bad-faith retention can subject the landlord to damages up to $200 in addition to actual damages | Miss. Code § 89-8-21 |
| Missouri | 30 days | 30 days after termination of the tenancy — Itemized list of damages required; wrongful withholding exposes landlord to up to twice the withheld amount; tenant entitled to be present at move-out inspection on reasonable notice | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300 |
| Montana | 30 days | 30 days after termination of the tenancy or surrender and acceptance of the premises (whichever first) when deductions are taken; 10 days if there is no damage, cleaning charge, or unpaid rent — Fast 10-day deadline when nothing is withheld; written itemized list required for any deduction | Mont. Code Ann. § 70-25-202 |
| Nebraska | 14 days | 14 days after the date of termination of the tenancy (balance plus written itemization delivered or mailed) — If the tenant provides no mailing address or instructions, the landlord mails the balance and itemization to the tenant's last-known address; deposits undeliverable or unclaimed for one year go to the State Treasurer as abandoned property; willful noncompliance exposes landlord to liquidated damages of one month's rent or twice the deposit, whichever is less (demand-based trigger removed by 2019/2021 amendments, LB433 and LB532) | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416(2) |
| Nevada | 30 days | 30 days after termination of the tenancy — Itemized written accounting required for any deduction; failure to return within 30 days can expose landlord to up to twice the deposit in damages | Nev. Rev. Stat. § 118A.242 |
| New Hampshire | 30 days | 30 days after termination of the tenancy — If the tenant shares facilities with the landlord, 20 days unless there is a written agreement; itemized list required for damage deductions | N.H. Rev. Stat. § 540-A:7 |
| New Jersey | 30 days | 30 days after termination of the tenant's lease, with the tenant's portion of accumulated interest, by personal delivery or registered/certified mail — 5 business days if tenant is displaced by fire, flood, condemnation, or evacuation; 15 business days for domestic-violence lease terminations; itemized deductions required; court awards double the amount due for wrongful withholding | N.J. Stat. § 46:8-21.1 |
| New Mexico | 30 days | 30 days after the date the tenant vacated the premises or the rental agreement terminated — Itemized written list of deductions must be mailed within the 30 days; failure to comply forfeits right to withhold and to claim attorney fees | N.M. Stat. § 47-8-18(C) |
| New York | 14 days | 14 days after the tenant has vacated the premises — Itemized statement required; landlord who misses the deadline forfeits any right to retain any portion of the deposit (Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019) | N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(e) |
| North Carolina | 30 days | 30 days after termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession; if the extent of damage cannot be determined within 30 days, an interim accounting within 30 days and a final accounting within 60 days — 60-day extension available only with an interim accounting at 30 days | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-52 |
| North Dakota | 30 days | 30 days after the tenant moves out, with an itemized list of deductions — Deductions allowed for damage beyond normal wear and tear and unpaid rent; interest owed on deposits for leases longer than nine months | N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1 |
| Ohio | 30 days | 30 days after termination of the rental agreement and delivery of possession — Itemized written notice of deductions required; tenant must provide forwarding address to recover damages and attorney fees for noncompliance | Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16(B) |
| Oklahoma | 45 days | 45 days after termination of the tenancy and the tenant's written demand for the balance — Tenant must make written demand; if no demand is made within 6 months, the deposit reverts to the landlord | Okla. Stat. tit. 41, § 115 |
| Oregon | 31 days | 31 days after the tenancy terminates and the tenant delivers possession — Written accounting stating the basis of any claim required within the same 31 days | Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.300(12)-(13) |
| Pennsylvania | 30 days | 30 days after termination of the lease or surrender and acceptance of the premises, whichever first occurs — Written list of damages required; landlord who fails to provide the list within 30 days forfeits deductions and may owe double the deposit; tenant must provide a forwarding address | 68 P.S. § 250.512 |
| Rhode Island | 20 days | 20 days after termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession, and receipt of the tenant's forwarding address — Itemized notice required for any deduction; noncompliance can expose landlord to double damages | R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19 |
| South Carolina | 30 days | 30 days after termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession and demand by the tenant, whichever is later — Itemized written notice of deductions required with any amount due | S.C. Code § 27-40-410 |
| South Dakota | 21 days | 21 days after termination of the tenancy and receipt of the tenant's mailing address or delivery instructions (extended from two weeks by a 2026 amendment, SL 2026 ch. 179) — Itemized accounting of any withheld amount due within 45 days of termination upon tenant request; noncompliance forfeits all withholding rights; bad-faith retention adds punitive damages up to $200 | S.D. Codified Laws § 43-32-24 |
| Tennessee | No fixed deadline | No fixed statutory deadline for returning the deposit; if the tenant leaves not owing rent with a refund due, the landlord sends notification of the refund amount, and if the tenant does not respond within 60 days of the sending of that notification the landlord may retain the deposit — 60-day tenant-response forfeiture rule runs from the landlord's refund notification (Tenn. Code § 66-28-301(f)); move-out inspection and comprehensive damage listing procedure required for any charge against the deposit | Tenn. Code § 66-28-301 |
| Texas | 30 days | 30 days after the tenant surrenders the premises — Landlord is not obligated to refund until the tenant gives a forwarding address (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.107); bad-faith retention exposes landlord to $100 plus three times the withheld amount | Tex. Prop. Code § 92.103 |
| Utah | 30 days | 30 calendar days after the day the tenant vacates the premises — Deposit plus balance of prepaid rent and a written itemized notice of deductions required; tenant may serve a statutory notice if the landlord misses the deadline | Utah Code § 57-17-3 |
| Vermont | 14 days | 14 days from the date the landlord discovers the tenant vacated or abandoned the dwelling — 60 days for seasonal (non-primary-residence) rentals; missing the deadline forfeits the right to withhold, and willful failure means double damages plus attorney fees | 9 V.S.A. § 4461(c), (e) |
| Virginia | 45 days | 45 days after the termination date of the tenancy or the date the tenant vacates, whichever occurs last — Itemized written notice of all deductions required; interim notice within 45 days of determining a deduction during the tenancy | Va. Code § 55.1-1226(A) |
| Washington | 30 days | 30 days after termination of the rental agreement and vacation of the premises — Deadline extended from 21 to 30 days by 2023 amendment; landlord must give full and specific statement with documentation for withholdings | Rev. Code Wash. § 59.18.280 |
| West Virginia | 60 days | Within 60 days after termination of the tenancy or 45 days after a new tenant occupies the unit, whichever is shorter — If damage exceeds the deposit and the landlord obtains repair estimates, the notice period may be extended by 15 days; itemized deductions required | W. Va. Code § 37-6A-2 |
| Wisconsin | 21 days | 21 days after the tenant surrenders the premises (or, depending on how the tenancy ends, after the date the rental agreement would have terminated or a new tenant takes possession) — Itemized statement of deductions required; deadline trigger varies with how the tenancy ends | Wis. Stat. § 704.28(4) |
| Wyoming | 30 days | 30 days after termination of the rental agreement or 15 days after receiving the tenant's forwarding address, whichever is later — Additional 30 days allowed for deductions attributable to damage to the unit; itemized list required for any withholding | Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1208(a) |
What the 51 deadlines reveal
14 days
Fastest state: Alaska — the shortest statutory return window in the country.
60 days
Slowest: Alabama — the longest fixed deadline a state allows.
30 days
Most common deadline — used by 23 jurisdictions.
18 states
Expose landlords to double or triple damages for wrongful withholding.
A few patterns matter practically. First, the spread is enormous — a renter inAlaska should expect their deposit back in about two weeks, while a renter inAlabama may lawfully wait two months. Second, Kentucky and Tennessee have no single fixed deadline at all — their statutes work through forfeiture mechanics instead, which is why summaries that print one number for every state are wrong. Third, the forwarding-address trap: in 7 jurisdictions the deadline interacts with whether you gave the landlord a forwarding address in writing — in several, the clock doesn't even start until you do. It is the single cheapest deposit-protecting step a renter can take.
Recent years have also seen deadlines move in both directions — Connecticut shortened its window to 21 days in 2023, Washington lengthened its to 30 the same year, and South Dakota amended its rule in 2026. Sites that copy each other's tables tend to miss these changes; every row here links the official source precisely so you never have to take our word for it.
How to use this table
- Find your state and note the general deadline and any conditions.
- Open the official source to confirm the current rule — that link is the authority, not this table.
- Count from your move-out (or lease end, per your state's rule) to see whether the deadline has passed.
- If it has, send a written demand letter — and see deposit basics for the small-claims path if the letter is ignored.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit?
It depends on the state. Across the 50 states and DC, statutory deadlines range from 14 days (Alaska) to 60 days (Alabama), and the most common deadline is 30 days (23 jurisdictions). Kentucky and Tennessee set no single fixed deadline and instead use forfeiture rules. Find your state in the table above and verify against the linked official source.
What happens if the landlord misses the deadline?
Consequences vary by state, but they have real teeth: in 18 of the 51 jurisdictions in our table, the statute exposes a non-compliant landlord to enhanced damages — commonly double, and in some states triple, the amount wrongfully withheld — and many states also forfeit the landlord's right to keep any of the deposit at all. That leverage is exactly what a written demand letter invokes.
Does giving my forwarding address really matter?
Yes — more than most renters realize. In 7 jurisdictions in our table, the forwarding address affects the deadline itself: in some states the return clock does not start (or the landlord's duty is suspended) until you provide one. Always give your forwarding address in writing when you move out and keep a dated copy.
Are these deadlines up to date?
Every entry was verified against official sources — statute text from state legislatures (directly or via archived copies), state attorney general publications, or state court materials — with the verification date recorded in our research notes. Legislatures amend these laws, so the table also links each state's official source: the statute always controls over any summary, including ours.
My deadline passed and I have nothing — what now?
Send a written demand letter by certified mail: our free generator builds one that cites your state's exact statute. If the landlord still doesn't pay, small claims court is designed for precisely this dispute — low fees, simplified procedure, no lawyer required, and in many states the enhanced damages mentioned above.
This page is general legal information, not legal advice. Deadlines and conditions here are summaries; the linked statutes control. For advice about your situation, talk to a licensed attorney in your state — our free legal help guidelists options that cost nothing.