When a tenancy ends, the landlord must return the security deposit within a state-set deadline, along with an itemized statement of any deductions. Skipping the statement or missing the deadline can cost the landlord two or three times the deposit in many states.
This template produces the itemized deposit statement courts expect to see: the deposit held, each deduction with its amount, the refund due, and how the refund is being sent.
Deposit return deadlines by state
The clock usually starts when the tenant moves out and returns the keys. Common deadlines include:
| Deadline | Example states |
|---|---|
| 14 days | New York, Vermont, Hawaii, Nebraska (with itemization) |
| 15 days | Florida (no deductions claimed; 30 days to give notice of a claim) |
| 21 days | California, Minnesota (interest may apply) |
| 30 days | Texas, Pennsylvania |
| 45 days | Illinois (itemization within 30 days), Indiana |
Missing the deadline is expensive
In many states a landlord who misses the deadline or skips the itemization forfeits the right to withhold anything, and can owe the tenant double or triple the deposit plus attorney fees. Send the statement on time even if the inspection is not fully settled.
What can and cannot be deducted
- Deductible: unpaid rent, damage beyond normal wear and tear, cleaning to restore the move-in condition, unpaid utilities the lease assigns to the tenant.
- Not deductible: normal wear and tear (faded paint, worn carpet from ordinary use, small nail holes), pre-existing damage, and routine repainting on a normal cycle.
Each deduction should be specific: what was damaged, what it cost to fix, and ideally a receipt or estimate. Vague lines like 'cleaning: $300' are the first thing a small claims judge strikes.
Protecting yourself as a landlord
Document the unit's condition at move-in and move-out with dated photos, use a walk-through checklist signed by both parties, keep every receipt for repairs, and send this statement by certified mail to the tenant's forwarding address. If the tenant left no forwarding address, send it to the last known address (the rental unit) to preserve compliance.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as normal wear and tear?
Deterioration from ordinary living: faded paint, minor scuffs, carpet worn by foot traffic, loose door handles. Damage from negligence or misuse (burns, large holes, pet stains, broken fixtures) is deductible; ordinary aging is not.
Do I need receipts for every deduction?
Several states require receipts or estimates above a threshold (California requires them over $125). Even where not mandatory, receipts are your best evidence if the tenant sues in small claims court.
What if the deductions exceed the deposit?
Send the itemized statement showing the full accounting and a demand for the balance. You can pursue the excess in small claims court, using the statement as your primary evidence.
The tenant left no forwarding address. What do I do?
Send the statement and refund to the tenant's last known address, usually the rental property itself, within the deadline. That preserves your compliance in most states even if the letter is returned.
Can the tenant use the deposit as last month's rent?
Not unless the lease or the landlord agrees. A tenant who withholds the last month's rent expecting the deposit to cover it is technically in nonpayment, though many landlords settle it in the final accounting.
Security Deposit Return Letter rules in all 50 states
The table below summarizes the verified state rules with their statutory citations. Click your state for the full local guide; where a cell says "see statute", the rule is either not uniform or not compressed into a single number, and the state page explains what to check.
| State | Return deadline | Deposit cap | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 60 days | 1 month's rent | Ala. Code 35-9A-201 |
| Alaska | 14 days (30 days in some cases) | 2 months' rent (no cap when rent exceeds $2,000 a month) | Alaska Stat. 34.03.070 |
| Arizona | 14 business days | 1.5 months' rent | Ariz. Rev. Stat. 33-1321 |
| Arkansas | 60 days | 2 months' rent | Ark. Code Ann. 18-16-304, 18-16-305 |
| California | 21 days | 1 month's rent (since July 1, 2024) | Cal. Civ. Code 1950.5 |
| Colorado | 30 days (up to 60 if the lease says so) | 2 months' rent (since August 2023) | Colo. Rev. Stat. 38-12-102.5, 38-12-103 |
| Connecticut | 30 days (or 15 days after receiving the tenant's forwarding address, whichever is later) | 2 months' rent (1 month if the tenant is 62 or older) | Conn. Gen. Stat. 47a-21 |
| Delaware | 20 days | 1 month's rent for leases of one year or more | Del. Code tit. 25, 5514 |
| District of Columbia | 45 days | 1 month's rent | D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14, 308 to 311 |
| Florida | 15 to 60 days depending on whether deductions are claimed | No statutory cap | Fla. Stat. 83.49 |
| Georgia | 30 days | 2 months' rent (since July 1, 2024) | Ga. Code Ann. 44-7-30.1, 44-7-34 |
| Hawaii | 14 days | 1 month's rent | Haw. Rev. Stat. 521-44 |
| Idaho | 21 days (up to 30 by agreement) | No statutory cap | Idaho Code 6-321 |
| Illinois | 30 to 45 days (buildings of 5 or more units) | No statutory cap | 765 Ill. Comp. Stat. 710/1 |
| Indiana | 45 days | No statutory cap | Ind. Code 32-31-3-12 |
| Iowa | 30 days | 2 months' rent | Iowa Code 562A.12 |
| Kansas | 30 days | 1 month's rent (1.5 months for furnished units) | Kan. Stat. Ann. 58-2550 |
| Kentucky | 30 to 60 days | No statutory cap | Ky. Rev. Stat. 383.580 |
| Louisiana | 1 month | No statutory cap | La. Rev. Stat. 9:3251 |
| Maine | 30 days (21 days for tenancies at will) | 2 months' rent | Me. Stat. tit. 14, 6032, 6033 |
| Maryland | 45 days | 1 month's rent | Md. Code, Real Prop. 8-203 |
| Massachusetts | 30 days | 1 month's rent | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, 15B |
| Michigan | 30 days | 1.5 months' rent | Mich. Comp. Laws 554.602, 554.609 |
| Minnesota | 21 days | No statutory cap | Minn. Stat. 504B.178 |
| Mississippi | 45 days | No statutory cap | Miss. Code Ann. 89-8-21 |
| Missouri | 30 days | 2 months' rent | Mo. Rev. Stat. 535.300 |
| Montana | 30 days (10 days if no deductions) | No statutory cap | Mont. Code Ann. 70-25-202 |
| Nebraska | 14 days | 1 month's rent (plus a pet deposit up to one quarter of a month's rent) | Neb. Rev. Stat. 76-1416 |
| Nevada | 30 days | 3 months' rent | Nev. Rev. Stat. 118A.242 |
| New Hampshire | 30 days | 1 month's rent or $100, whichever is greater | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. 540-A:6, 540-A:7 |
| New Jersey | 30 days | 1.5 months' rent | N.J. Stat. Ann. 46:8-21.1, 46:8-21.2 |
| New Mexico | 30 days | 1 month's rent for leases under one year | N.M. Stat. Ann. 47-8-18 |
| New York | 14 days | 1 month's rent | N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law 7-108 |
| North Carolina | 30 days (interim accounting allowed up to 60 days) | 1.5 months' rent for month-to-month tenancies, 2 months for longer terms | N.C. Gen. Stat. 42-51, 42-52 |
| North Dakota | 30 days | 1 month's rent | N.D. Cent. Code 47-16-07.1 |
| Ohio | 30 days | No statutory cap | Ohio Rev. Code 5321.16 |
| Oklahoma | 45 days | No statutory cap | Okla. Stat. tit. 41, 115 |
| Oregon | 31 days | No statutory cap | Or. Rev. Stat. 90.300 |
| Pennsylvania | 30 days | 2 months' rent during the first year | 68 Pa. Stat. 250.511a, 250.512 |
| Rhode Island | 20 days | 1 month's rent | R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-19 |
| South Carolina | 30 days | No statutory cap | S.C. Code Ann. 27-40-410 |
| South Dakota | 14 days (45 days for an itemized accounting) | 1 month's rent | S.D. Codified Laws 43-32-6.1, 43-32-24 |
| Tennessee | See statute | No statutory cap | Tenn. Code Ann. 66-28-301 |
| Texas | 30 days | No statutory cap | Tex. Prop. Code 92.103 |
| Utah | 30 days | No statutory cap | Utah Code 57-17-3 |
| Vermont | 14 days | No statutory cap | Vt. Stat. tit. 9, 4461 |
| Virginia | 45 days | 2 months' rent | Va. Code 55.1-1226 |
| Washington | 30 days | No statutory cap | Wash. Rev. Code 59.18.280 |
| West Virginia | 60 days (or 45 days after a new tenant moves in, whichever is shorter) | No statutory cap | W. Va. Code 37-6A-1, 37-6A-2 |
| Wisconsin | 21 days | No statutory cap | Wis. Stat. 704.28 |
| Wyoming | 30 days (or 15 days after receiving the forwarding address, if later) | No statutory cap | Wyo. Stat. 1-21-1208 |