How Long Do Landlords Have to Return a Security Deposit? Deadlines by State

Missing the deposit-return deadline is one of the most expensive mistakes a landlord can make. In many states it triggers automatic forfeiture — you lose the right to withhold any portion of the deposit, even for clearly legitimate damage — and sometimes additional penalties (double or treble damages plus attorney fees).

A perfectly documented damage claim that's sent 5 days late can be worthless. Get the deadline right first; build your itemization backward from it.

Most states start the clock when the tenancy ends and the tenant has moved out — typically when keys are returned and the unit is vacant. Some count from the end of the rental agreement (Florida), or from whichever comes first (Pennsylvania).

A forwarding address can matter too. In Texas, the obligation to refund or itemize does not start until the tenant gives a written forwarding address (§ 92.107). In Ohio the deadline still runs, but a tenant who gives no forwarding address cannot recover the statutory damages (§ 5321.16). Either way: get the keys, note the date, and ask the tenant in writing for a forwarding address.

The table below is the commonly cited statewide baseline. We have checked the figures for CA, TX, FL, NY, IL, PA, OH, GA, NC and MI against the statute; the rest come from secondary summaries we have not verified. State laws change and many localities (NYC, Chicago, LA, SF) add stricter rules — verify the current statute for your jurisdiction.

AL 35-60 days · AK 14 days · AZ 14 days · AR 30/60 days · CA 21 days · CO 30-60 days · CT 30 days · DE 20 days · FL 15/30 days · GA 30 days · HI 14 days · ID 21 days · IL 30/45 days · IN 45 days · IA 30 days · KS 30 days · KY 30-60 days · LA 30-60 days · ME 30 days · MD 45 days · MA 30 days · MI 30 days · MN 21 days · MS 45 days · MO 30-60 days · MT 30 days · NE 14 days · NV 30 days · NH 30 days · NJ 30-45 days · NM 30 days · NY 14 days · NC 30 days · ND 30 days · OH 30 days · OK 30-45 days · OR 31 days · PA 30 days · RI 20 days · SC 30 days · SD 14 days · TN 30-60 days · TX 30 days · UT 30 days · VT 14 days · VA 45 days · WA 21 days · WV 30-60 days · WI 21 days · WY 30 days.

In some states missing the deadline costs the right to keep any of the deposit: New York (§ 7-108), Florida (§ 83.49(3)(a)), Pennsylvania (§ 512(b)) and Michigan (§ 554.610), for example. Others tie the consequence to bad faith — California allows up to twice the deposit in statutory damages for bad-faith retention (§ 1950.5(m)). Treat the deadline as a hard ceiling either way.

Some states (North Carolina, Michigan) permit an interim accounting within 30 days plus a final accounting later. Don't silently wait — file the interim accounting on time.

For the 10 states it supports, MoveOutGuard estimates the deadline from the move-out and keys-returned dates you enter and shows a countdown on the dashboard ('12 days left'). The statement cites your state's statute. It is an estimate for your review, not legal advice.