Study · statute-sourced · 2026
Security Deposit Limits in All 50 States
In 22 states, there is no legal cap on what a landlord can ask as a security deposit — and once you move out, the deadline to give it back ranges from 14 days to 60. Every figure is cited to the state statute.
Quick answers
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit?
It depends on the state: from 14 days (Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Nebraska…) to 60 days (Alabama, Arkansas, West Virginia) after move-out. The most common deadline is 30 days, in 27 states. Each state's statute is linked in the table below, and many states also require an itemized list of deductions.
How many states have no limit on security deposits?
22 states have no statutory cap — a landlord may legally ask for any deposit the market bears, including Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana and 17 more. The rest cap deposits, most commonly at one or two months' rent.
Can a landlord charge more than the cap?
No — where a cap exists it is a legal maximum, and charging above it is unenforceable (and in some states exposes the landlord to penalties). Pet deposits and fees sometimes count toward the cap and sometimes not; the linked statute controls.
Do these figures cover every situation?
They are the base rule for standard residential tenancies. Furnished units, senior tenants, small-landlord exemptions and local ordinances can change the numbers — the statute linked on each row is the authoritative source.
22
states with no cap at all
29
states with a statutory cap
14–60
days to return it, by state
51
jurisdictions, all cited
Deposit cap and return deadline, state by state
Sorted by return deadline (fastest first). Tap a state for its fillable lease with these rules built in, or “Late? Demand letter” for a letter that cites that state’s deadline.
The 22 states with no deposit cap
Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming. In these states the deposit is whatever the lease says — which is exactly why it should be in writing, with the amount and return terms spelled out.
How to read these numbers (methodology)
Base rules for standard residential tenancies as of 2026, from each state's landlord-tenant statute (cross-referenced against at least two authoritative sources; audit trail in our lease sources doc). Furnished units, senior-tenant rules, small-landlord exemptions and city ordinances can vary the numbers — the statute linked on each row is authoritative. This is a comparison, not legal advice.
Free to cite and reproduce (CC BY 4.0) — we only ask for a link to https://sealforms.com/us/security-deposit-limits/.
Download CSV / JSON: security-deposit-limits.csv · security-deposit-limits.json
— 102 rows (2 rules × 51 jurisdictions). Each row carries the statute it comes from (cite, the authority) and a link to read it
(sourceUrl — not always the official site: some rows link a secondary copy or summary of that statute), plus the dataset’s
as-of year (asOf). CC BY 4.0; the CSV header is on line 1.
Putting a tenancy in writing? Every state page has a fillable lease agreement with that state's deposit rules built in — and at move-out, document payments with a rent receipt.