How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit?

It is set by state law and commonly falls between 14 and 60 days after the tenancy ends. Several states start the clock only once the landlord has the tenant's forwarding address in writing, which is why giving one matters. Pick your state in the tool and it cites the deadline to the statute along with the date we last checked it.

What should a security deposit demand letter say?

The address you rented, the date the tenancy ended, the deposit you paid, anything returned so far and when, the balance you are asking for, and a forwarding address to send it to. If a state deadline applies, say what it is and that it has passed. Keep it factual and dated — the letter's job is to show you asked, and when.

Can I claim extra damages if my landlord kept my deposit?

Some states do provide for additional damages when a deposit is wrongly withheld, sometimes a multiple of the amount. Whether that applies to your situation is a legal question about your facts and your state, and this tool does not answer it — the letter makes no damages claim. Ask a local tenant advice service or a lawyer before putting a figure like that in writing.

Security deposit demand letter

26 states cited

Your landlord hasn't sent it back. Enter your move-out date and this works out whether their deadline has passed — and by how many days — then writes the letter with the statute cited.

You

Your name *PhoneEmail

Your forwarding address *Street addressSuite, unit, floor (optional)

CityStateZIP

Where the check should go. Put it in writing even if you have already said it out loud — in several states the return deadline does not begin until the landlord has a forwarding address.

The landlordLandlord or property manager *

Where to send itStreet addressSuite, unit, floor (optional)

CityStateZIP

The tenancyAddress you rented *

StateMove-out date *Letter date

The money

Deposit you paid $ *Amount returned so far $Date returned

Deductions you dispute

Only if they took something off and you disagree with it. Leave this empty if you simply never heard back.

Finishing itGive them how many days to reply?Anything else you want on the record

The date is the argument

Anyone can write a polite paragraph asking for their money. What a landlord actually responds to is a letter that says your deadline was the 14th of March and it is now the 2nd of April, with the section number next to it. That is a calculation against a statute, not a writing task, and it is the part a template on a legal-forms site cannot do for you because it does not know when you moved out.

So this asks for your move-out date first and works backwards. If the deadline has passed it says so and counts the days. If it hasn’t, it says that too and the letter asks rather than presses — sending it early is still worth doing, because it puts your forwarding address in writing.

Give a forwarding address, in writing

In several states the landlord’s clock does not start until they have somewhere to send the check. Tenants lose this argument by having mentioned an address verbally and having nothing to point at afterwards. The letter carries yours at the top for exactly that reason, even when you are sending it before the deadline.

What this will not tell you

Some states allow a tenant to recover more than the deposit when it is wrongly withheld — sometimes double or triple. Whether that applies to you depends on your state and your facts, and this letter deliberately makes no claim about it. A demand for a number you cannot support is easier for a landlord to dismiss than a demand for the deposit itself. If you think a penalty applies, that is worth asking a local tenant service or a lawyer about before you put it in writing.

Deposit return deadline by state

Each deadline below is tied to its statute and carries the date we last checked it. States we haven’t verified are left out on purpose — the tool tells you to look up your own rather than quoting a number we can’t stand behind.

State	Deadline	Statute	Verified
Arizona	within 14 business days of move-out	A.R.S. § 33-1321(D)	Jul 2026
California	within 21 days of the tenant moving out	Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5	Jul 2026
Colorado	within one month, or up to 60 days if the lease allows	Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-103	Jul 2026
Connecticut	within 30 days, or 15 days after receiving a forwarding address	Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21	Jul 2026
Florida	within 15 days if no deductions, or 30 days after written notice of a claim	Fla. Stat. § 83.49	Jul 2026
Georgia	within one month of tenancy ending	O.C.G.A. § 44-7-34	Jul 2026
Illinois	generally within 30–45 days, depending on itemization and building size	765 ILCS 710	Jul 2026
Indiana	within 45 days of tenancy ending	Ind. Code § 32-31-3-12	Jul 2026
Kansas	within 30 days of tenancy ending	K.S.A. 58-2550	Jul 2026
Kentucky	generally 30–60 days depending on circumstances	KRS 383.580	Jul 2026
Maryland	within 45 days of tenancy ending	Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-203	Jul 2026
Massachusetts	within 30 days of tenancy ending	M.G.L. c. 186 § 15B	Jul 2026
Michigan	within 30 days of move-out	MCL 554.609	Jul 2026
Minnesota	within 21 days of tenancy ending	Minn. Stat. § 504B.178	Jul 2026
Montana	within 30 days (10 days if there are no deductions)	Mont. Code Ann. § 70-25-202	Jul 2026
Nevada	within 30 days of tenancy ending	NRS 118A.242	Jul 2026
New Hampshire	within 30 days of move-out	RSA 540-A:7	Jul 2026
New Jersey	within 30 days of move-out	N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.1	Jul 2026
New York	within 14 days of move-out	N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108	Jul 2026
Ohio	within 30 days of tenancy ending	Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16	Jul 2026
Oregon	within 31 days of tenancy ending	ORS 90.300	Jul 2026
Pennsylvania	within 30 days of move-out	68 Pa. Stat. § 250.512	Jul 2026
Texas	within 30 days of surrender, once a forwarding address is provided	Tex. Prop. Code § 92.103	Jul 2026
Virginia	within 45 days of lease termination	Va. Code § 55.1-1226	Jul 2026
Washington	within 30 days of tenancy ending	RCW 59.18.280	Jul 2026
Wisconsin	within 21 days of tenancy ending	Wis. Stat. § 704.28	Jul 2026

If you’re on the other side of this

Landlords returning a deposit want the deposit return letter, which itemizes deductions and does the refund math against the same deadlines. To work out what is fairly chargeable in the first place, the deduction calculator prorates by useful life rather than charging a tenant for a whole carpet.

General information, not legal advice. CompliMaint is not a law firm and takes no view on what you are owed. State deadlines are cited to the statute with the date last checked; verify anything you rely on. Everything runs on your device.