Security deposit laws, checked against the statute.

How much a landlord can charge, when the deposit is due back, what can be deducted and what happens if the landlord breaks the rules, for every state and DC, with a link to the law behind each number.

Compare all 50 states

51jurisdictions tracked51return deadlines confirmedOct 17, 2026last checked

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Security Deposit Laws by State

Sortable 50-state + DC table: caps, return deadlines, itemization, interest and penalties.

Deposit Return Calculator

Pick your state and move-out date to get the landlord's legal deadline, check the cap, and estimate penalties.

State guides

California Texas New York Florida Illinois Pennsylvania Ohio Georgia North Carolina Michigan New Jersey Virginia Washington Arizona Massachusetts

Why another deposit law site?

Most deposit charts copy each other, so outdated numbers spread. California's two-month cap ended on July 1, 2024 and Illinois dropped its five-unit threshold in 2024, yet many guides still show the old rules. We do it differently. We read each rule in the official statute or a state-government page, link it, and date it. If we haven't confirmed a figure yet, we label it “Verify with statute” instead of guessing.

Coming next: eviction notice periods, rent-increase notice, landlord entry notice and late-fee limits, state by state. Read how we verify.

Quick facts (verified)

Shortest deadlines: New York and Vermont give landlords 14 days; Hawaii 14 days; Florida 15 days if no claim.
California caps deposits at one month's rent for most landlords (AB 12).
Texas bad-faith landlords owe $100 + 3× the amount wrongfully withheld.
Chicago tenants can recover 2× the deposit plus interest when a landlord violates the RLTO deposit section.

Not legal advice. Lamuko Rent Laws provides general legal information about state statutes, not legal advice, and using this site does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws change and courts interpret them; city and county ordinances (for example Chicago, San Francisco or New York City rules) can be stricter than state law, and your lease or a subsidized-housing program may add terms. Fields marked “Verify with statute” have not yet been confirmed by us against the official text. Check the linked statute or talk to a licensed attorney or local legal-aid office before acting.