When does your landlord have to return your deposit?
Every state sets its own deadline, most between 14 and 60 days. Pick yours to see the date, what your landlord owes you by then, and the law that says so.
Choose your state to see your landlord’s deadline.
’s deadline
If you haven’t had your deposit back, or a list of what was kept, ask for it in writing and keep a copy.
No set number of days
Source: , checked October 14, 2026. Some cities and counties add rules of their own.
Write a letter asking for it, citing your state’s law.
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Deadlines in every state
Tap a state for the details: when its clock starts, what else it requires, and its law.
- Alabama60 days
- Alaska14 or 30 days
- Arizona14 business days
- Arkansas60 days
- California21 days
- ColoradoOne month
- Connecticut21 days
- Delaware20 days
- Florida15 or 30 days
- Georgia30 days
- Hawaii14 days
- Idaho21 days
- Illinois30 or 45 days
- Indiana45 days
- Iowa30 days
- Kansas30 days
- KentuckyNo set deadline
- LouisianaOne month
- Maine30 or 21 days
- Maryland45 days
- Massachusetts30 days
- Michigan30 days
- Minnesota21 days
- Mississippi45 days
- Missouri30 days
- Montana10 or 30 days
- Nebraska14 days
- Nevada30 days
- New Hampshire30 days
- New Jersey30 days
- New Mexico30 days
- New York14 days
- North Carolina30 days
- North Dakota30 days
- Ohio30 days
- Oklahoma45 days
- Oregon31 days
- Pennsylvania30 days
- Rhode Island20 days
- South Carolina30 days
- South Dakota21 days
- TennesseeNo set deadline
- Texas30 days
- Utah30 days
- Vermont14 days
- Virginia45 days
- Washington30 days
- Washington, DC45 days
- West Virginia60 days
- Wisconsin21 days
- Wyoming30 days
How the clock works
In most states the days count from when your tenancy ends and you hand back the keys. If you moved out before your lease ended, many states count from the end of the lease instead; your state’s page says which.
A few states wait for something from you first: a request for your deposit in writing, or your forwarding address. The calculator asks for that date when your state needs it.
By the deadline, your landlord has to return your deposit, or send an itemized list of anything they’re keeping and why, with the rest. Many states also say how: by mail to your forwarding address, or in person.
If your deposit is late
01
Check the date
Make sure the deadline has really passed, counting from the right day for your state.
02
Ask in writing
Send your landlord a short letter asking for your deposit by a set date. Mention your state’s law, and keep a copy.
03
Get help if you need it
If that doesn’t work, a local legal aid office or tenants’ union can help. Small claims court is built for disputes like this, and you don’t need a lawyer to use it.
The deposit demand letter writes that letter for you, citing your state’s law and deadline.
Your deposit isn’t the only money you’re waiting on
Refunds, rebates, reimbursements: OwedTab keeps a running tab of all of it, and nudges you when something’s late. Join the early-access list to try it on your iPhone before it’s out.
Questions
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit?
It depends on the state. Most give landlords between 14 and 60 days after you move out, and Kentucky and Tennessee set no number of days. The table on this page lists every state’s deadline, with a link to its law.
When does the deadline start?
Usually when your tenancy ends and you hand back the keys. Some states count from when you ask for your deposit back in writing (Arizona, Kansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma and South Carolina), or from when your landlord has your forwarding address (Connecticut, Iowa, Minnesota, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Wyoming).
Does the deadline count weekends?
Most states count calendar days, weekends included. Arizona counts business days, skipping weekends and its legal holidays, and Colorado and Louisiana count one month.
Can my landlord keep my deposit for normal wear and tear?
Generally, no. A deposit covers unpaid rent and damage beyond normal wear and tear: a hole in the wall, not faded paint or worn carpet. Most states require an itemized list of anything a landlord keeps.
What happens if my landlord misses the deadline?
In many states, a landlord who misses it loses the right to keep any of the deposit, and some owe a penalty on top, such as twice the amount they kept. Your state’s law, linked from its page here, says what applies.
Should I give my landlord a forwarding address?
Yes, in writing, when you move out. It’s where your deposit gets mailed, and several states don’t start the clock, or don’t hold the landlord to it, until they have one.
Sources
- Alabama: Ala. Code § 35-9A-201
- Alaska: AS 34.03.070(g)
- Arizona: A.R.S. § 33-1321(D)
- Arkansas: Ark. Code § 18-16-305
- California: Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(h)
- Colorado: C.R.S. § 38-12-103(1)
- Connecticut: C.G.S. § 47a-21(d)(2)
- Delaware: 25 Del. C. § 5514
- Florida: Fla. Stat. § 83.49(3)
- Georgia: O.C.G.A. § 44-7-34
- Hawaii: HRS § 521-44(c)
- Idaho: Idaho Code § 6-321(2)
- Illinois: 765 ILCS 710/1
- Indiana: IC 32-31-3-12
- Iowa: Iowa Code § 562A.12(3)
- Kansas: K.S.A. 58-2550(b)
- Kentucky: KRS 383.580
- Louisiana: La. R.S. 9:3251
- Maine: 14 M.R.S. § 6033
- Maryland: Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-203(e)
- Massachusetts: M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B(4)
- Michigan: MCL 554.609
- Minnesota: Minn. Stat. § 504B.178, subd. 3
- Mississippi: Miss. Code § 89-8-21
- Missouri: Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300
- Montana: MCA 70-25-202
- Nebraska: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416
- Nevada: NRS 118A.242
- New Hampshire: RSA 540-A:7
- New Jersey: N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.1
- New Mexico: N.M. Stat. § 47-8-18
- New York: N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)
- North Carolina: N.C.G.S. § 42-52
- North Dakota: N.D.C.C. § 47-16-07.1
- Ohio: Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16(B)
- Oklahoma: 41 O.S. § 115
- Oregon: ORS 90.300
- Pennsylvania: 68 P.S. § 250.512
- Rhode Island: R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19(b)
- South Carolina: S.C. Code § 27-40-410(a)
- South Dakota: SDCL 43-32-24
- Tennessee: Tenn. Code § 66-28-301
- Texas: Tex. Prop. Code §§ 92.103, 92.107
- Utah: Utah Code § 57-17-3
- Vermont: 9 V.S.A. § 4461(c)
- Virginia: Va. Code § 55.1-1226
- Washington: RCW 59.18.280
- Washington, DC: D.C. Code § 42-3502.17; 14 DCMR § 309
- West Virginia: W. Va. Code § 37-6A-2
- Wisconsin: Wis. Stat. § 704.28(4)
- Wyoming: Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1208
Last checked October 14, 2026.
This is general information, not legal advice. Laws change, and your lease, city or county can add rules of their own. For advice about your situation, talk to a lawyer or a local legal aid office.