Security deposit laws by state
Every state sets its own deadline for a landlord to return your security deposit, and most let you claim a penalty — often 2× or 3× the deposit — if the landlord keeps it in bad faith. Pick your state to see its actual return deadline, itemization rule, penalty exposure, and the governing statute, drawn straight from the law. Covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
- Alabama60-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureAla. Code § 35-9A-201Read the Alabama guide →
- Alaska30-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureAlaska Stat. § 34.03.070Read the Alaska guide →
- Arizona14-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureAriz. Rev. Stat. § 33-1321Read the Arizona guide →
- Arkansas60-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureArk. Code § 18-16-305Read the Arkansas guide →
- California21-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureCal. Civ. Code § 1950.5Read the California guide →
- Colorado30-day deadline · up to 3× penalty exposureColo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-103Read the Colorado guide →
- Connecticut21-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureConn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21Read the Connecticut guide →
- Delaware20-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureDel. Code tit. 25, § 5514Read the Delaware guide →
- District of Columbia45-day deadline · up to 3× penalty exposureD.C. Code § 42-3502.17Read the District of Columbia guide →
- Florida30-day deadline · statutory penaltyFla. Stat. § 83.49Read the Florida guide →
- Georgia30-day deadline · up to 3× penalty exposureGa. Code § 44-7-34Read the Georgia guide →
- Hawaii14-day deadline · up to 3× penalty exposureHaw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44Read the Hawaii guide →
- Idaho21-day deadline · up to 3× penalty exposureIdaho Code § 6-321Read the Idaho guide →
- Illinois45-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposure765 ILCS 710Read the Illinois guide →
- Indiana45-day deadline · statutory penaltyInd. Code § 32-31-3-12Read the Indiana guide →
- Iowa30-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureIowa Code § 562A.12Read the Iowa guide →
- Kansas30-day deadline · up to 1.5× penalty exposureKan. Stat. § 58-2550Read the Kansas guide →
- Kentucky30-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureKy. Rev. Stat. § 383.580Read the Kentucky guide →
- Louisiana30-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureLa. Rev. Stat. § 9:3251Read the Louisiana guide →
- Maine30-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureMe. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6033Read the Maine guide →
- Maryland45-day deadline · up to 3× penalty exposureMd. Code, Real Prop. § 8-203Read the Maryland guide →
- Massachusetts30-day deadline · up to 3× penalty exposureMass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 15BRead the Massachusetts guide →
- Michigan30-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureMich. Comp. Laws § 554.613Read the Michigan guide →
- Minnesota21-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureMinn. Stat. § 504B.178Read the Minnesota guide →
- Mississippi45-day deadline · statutory penaltyMiss. Code § 89-8-21Read the Mississippi guide →
- Missouri30-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureMo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300Read the Missouri guide →
- Montana30-day deadline · statutory penaltyMont. Code § 70-25-202Read the Montana guide →
- Nebraska14-day deadline · statutory penaltyNeb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416Read the Nebraska guide →
- Nevada30-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureNev. Rev. Stat. § 118A.242Read the Nevada guide →
- New Hampshire30-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureN.H. Rev. Stat. § 540-A:7Read the New Hampshire guide →
- New Jersey30-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureN.J. Stat. § 46:8-21.1Read the New Jersey guide →
- New Mexico30-day deadline · statutory penaltyN.M. Stat. § 47-8-18Read the New Mexico guide →
- New York14-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureN.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108Read the New York guide →
- North Carolina30-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureN.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-52Read the North Carolina guide →
- North Dakota30-day deadline · up to 3× penalty exposureN.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1Read the North Dakota guide →
- Ohio30-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureOhio Rev. Code § 5321.16Read the Ohio guide →
- Oklahoma45-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureOkla. Stat. tit. 41, § 115Read the Oklahoma guide →
- Oregon31-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureOr. Rev. Stat. § 90.300Read the Oregon guide →
- Pennsylvania30-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposure68 Pa. Stat. § 250.512Read the Pennsylvania guide →
- Rhode Island20-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureR.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19Read the Rhode Island guide →
- South Carolina30-day deadline · up to 3× penalty exposureS.C. Code § 27-40-410Read the South Carolina guide →
- South Dakota14-day deadline · statutory penaltyS.D. Codified Laws § 43-32-24Read the South Dakota guide →
- Tennessee30-day deadline · statutory penaltyTenn. Code § 66-28-301Read the Tennessee guide →
- Texas30-day deadline · up to 3× penalty exposureTex. Prop. Code §§ 92.101–92.109Read the Texas guide →
- Utah30-day deadline · statutory penaltyUtah Code § 57-17-3Read the Utah guide →
- Vermont14-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureVt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4461Read the Vermont guide →
- Virginia45-day deadline · statutory penaltyVa. Code § 55.1-1226Read the Virginia guide →
- Washington30-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureWash. Rev. Code § 59.18.280Read the Washington guide →
- West Virginia60-day deadline · up to 1.5× penalty exposureW. Va. Code § 37-6A-2Read the West Virginia guide →
- Wisconsin21-day deadline · up to 2× penalty exposureWis. Stat. § 704.28Read the Wisconsin guide →
- Wyoming30-day deadline · statutory penaltyWyo. Stat. § 1-21-1208Read the Wyoming guide →
Past your state’s deadline?
Run the free leverage check — it shows exactly how many days past your state’s deadline your landlord is and the penalty exposure under your statute. Then, for a flat $39, get a statute-cited demand letter you send yourself plus a state-specific small-claims roadmap. Keep 100% of whatever you recover.