Calculator · statute-sourced · 2026

Security Deposit Return Calculator

Every state gives the landlord a fixed number of days to return your deposit after you move out. Pick your state and your move-out date to see the day it is due, with the statute that says so.

1 · Where is the rental?

2 · When did (or will) you move out?

What to do while you wait

Give a forwarding address in writing. In several states the return clock does not start, or the landlord's duty is suspended, until they have an address to send the refund to. A dated email or letter is enough.
Document the condition. Date-stamped photos or video of every room on the day you hand back the keys are the evidence that decides most deposit disputes.
Calendar the deadline. If the date passes with no refund and no itemized statement of deductions, send the security deposit demand letter for your state; it cites the same deadline and gives the landlord a date to respond.
Check whether interest is owed too. In Massachusetts, Maryland, Connecticut, Minnesota, Ohio, New Jersey, Chicago and San Francisco the law can require the landlord to pay interest on the deposit (each with its own conditions); the security deposit interest calculator works out how much, year by year.

Deposit return deadlines in all 50 states + DC

Built from our landlord-tenant dataset (as of 2026; each row cited to the statute). Deadlines run from 14 days (Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Nebraska, New York, South Dakota, Vermont) to 60 days (Alabama, Arkansas, West Virginia), with a median of 30 days. 22 jurisdictions set no statutory cap on the deposit amount (Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming).

Security deposit return deadline and deposit cap by US state (2026)
State	Return deadline	Deposit cap	Source
Alabama	60 days	1 month's rent	Ala. Code §35-9A-201
Alaska	14 days	2 months' rent (waived if rent over $2,000/mo)	Alaska Stat. §34.03.070
Arizona	14 days	1.5 months' rent	Ariz. Rev. Stat. §33-1321
Arkansas	60 days	2 months' rent	Ark. Code §18-16-305
California	21 days	1 month's rent	Cal. Civ. Code §1950.5 (AB 12, eff. 7/1/2024)
Colorado	30 days	2 months' rent	C.R.S. §38-12-102.5
Connecticut	30 days	2 months' rent (1 month if tenant 62+)	Conn. Gen. Stat. §47a-21
Delaware	20 days	1 month's rent (leases over 1 yr; no cap on month-to-month)	25 Del. C. §5514
District of Columbia	45 days	1 month's rent	D.C. Code §42-3502.17; 14 DCMR 308-311
Florida	30 days	No statutory limit	Fla. Stat. §83.49
Georgia	30 days	No statutory limit	Ga. Code §44-7-34
Hawaii	14 days	1 month's rent	Haw. Rev. Stat. §521-44
Idaho	21 days	No statutory limit	Idaho Code §6-321
Illinois	45 days	No statutory limit	765 ILCS 710 (Security Deposit Return Act)
Indiana	45 days	No statutory limit	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 if furnished)	Kan. Stat. §58-2550
Kentucky	30 days	No statutory limit	Ky. Rev. Stat. §383.580
Louisiana	30 days	No statutory limit	La. Rev. Stat. §9:3251
Maine	30 days	2 months' rent	14 M.R.S. §6033
Maryland	45 days	1 month's rent	Md. Real Prop. §8-203 (Renters' Rights Act, eff. 10/1/2024)
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
Minnesota	21 days	No statutory limit	Minn. Stat. §504B.178
Mississippi	45 days	No statutory limit	Miss. Code §89-8-21
Missouri	30 days	2 months' rent	Mo. Rev. Stat. §535.300
Montana	30 days	No statutory limit	Mont. Code §70-25-202
Nebraska	14 days	1 month's rent (1.25 if pets)	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. §540-A:6
New Jersey	30 days	1.5 months' rent	N.J. Stat. §46:8-19
New Mexico	30 days	1 month's rent (leases under 1 yr; no cap on longer)	N.M. Stat. §47-8-18
New York	14 days	1 month's rent	N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law §7-108
North Carolina	30 days	2 months' rent (1.5 if term under 1 yr)	N.C. Gen. Stat. §42-51
North Dakota	30 days	1 month's rent (2 if pets)	N.D. Cent. Code §47-16-07.1
Ohio	30 days	No statutory limit	Ohio Rev. Code §5321.16
Oklahoma	45 days	No statutory limit	Okla. Stat. tit. 41 §115
Oregon	31 days	No statutory limit	Or. Rev. Stat. §90.300
Pennsylvania	30 days	2 months' rent (1st year; 1 month thereafter)	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 limit	S.C. Code §27-40-410
South Dakota	14 days	1 month's rent	S.D. Codified Laws §43-32-6.1 & §43-32-24
Tennessee	30 days	No statutory limit	Tenn. Code §66-28-301
Texas	30 days	No statutory limit	Tex. Prop. Code §92.103
Utah	30 days	No statutory limit	Utah Code §57-17-3
Vermont	14 days	No statutory limit	9 V.S.A. §4461
Virginia	45 days	2 months' rent	Va. Code §55.1-1226
Washington	30 days	No statutory limit	Rev. Code Wash. §59.18.280 (30-day rule eff. 7/23/2023)
West Virginia	60 days	No statutory limit	W. Va. Code §37-6A-1
Wisconsin	21 days	No statutory limit	Wis. Stat. §704.28; Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.06
Wyoming	30 days	No statutory limit	Wyo. Stat. §1-21-1208

Each state name links to the demand letter for that state. For the deposit rules in more depth, see the security deposit limits study or your state's lease agreement page.

Frequently asked questions

How does the calculator work out the deadline?

It adds the statutory number of days for your state (from our landlord-tenant dataset, as of 2026, each state cited to its statute) to the move-out date you enter, counting calendar days. Example: moved out August 3 in a 21-day state gives August 24. The statute linked in the result is the authority; a few states count from the date the landlord receives your forwarding address or the end of the lease rather than the day you leave.

Does the deadline count weekends and holidays?

The calculator counts plain calendar days because that is how most deposit statutes read. Some statutes or court rules move a deadline that lands on a weekend or holiday to the next business day, and some start the clock from a different event (lease termination, delivery of keys, receipt of your forwarding address). Check the linked statute for your state before treating the date as final.

What if my landlord misses the deadline?

Send a written demand. Most states let a tenant recover the deposit, and many add a statutory penalty (often double or triple the amount withheld) when the landlord ignores the deadline or withholds in bad faith. The demand letter generator linked from your result cites your state’s deadline and gives the landlord a date to respond; if that passes, the small claims court is the usual next step.

Can the landlord keep part of the deposit?

Usually yes, for unpaid rent and damage beyond normal wear and tear, but in most states only with a written itemized statement of deductions delivered within the same deadline. Ordinary wear (faded paint, worn carpet, small nail holes) is not a valid deduction. Read your state statute for what must be in the itemization.

Is the deposit cap the maximum I could have been charged?

The cap shown is the statutory maximum a landlord may collect as a security deposit, from the same dataset. 22 of the 51 jurisdictions set no statutory cap at all, so the amount there is whatever the lease says. Where a cap exists and you paid more, the excess is itself recoverable in most states.

Is this legal advice?

No. It organizes what each state statute says and shows you the citation so you can verify it. Deposit rules change often and cities sometimes add their own; for a contested deposit, a local tenant-rights organization or attorney is the right call.

General information, not legal advice. Day counts and caps come from our 2026 dataset and can change; verify with the cited statute before acting on a date.