DraftMyComplaints Write a demand letter →

Home › Security deposit laws

Security deposits

Security deposit laws by state

Last updated October 13, 2026

Every state sets its own deadline for returning a security deposit, and most of them punish landlords who ignore it. The table gives the short version. Click your state for the full rules, the statute, a deadline calculator and a demand letter you can send today.

The deadline column is the main one in each statute. Several states have variations, like a shorter window when nothing is deducted or a clock that only starts once you give a forwarding address, so read your state's page before you count days.

Why the penalty matters more than the deadline

A landlord who misses the deadline by a week rarely cares. A landlord who reads that the statute allows double or triple the amount, plus your attorney's fees, usually does. That is why a demand letter that names the specific law tends to work where a polite text didn't. It shows you know the rule and are prepared to use it.

Before you send anything

Make sure the landlord has your forwarding address in writing, keep your move-out photos somewhere safe, and write down the date you returned the keys. Those three things decide most deposit disputes.

Write my demand letter →