Reference: the security deposit rule in each state and covered city. To settle a deposit, use the free Deposit settlement tool.
Reference
Security deposit rules by state
The return deadline, allowed deductions, interest and penalties in 50 states and DC, 8 city ordinances: 59 pages, each with the rule in plain words, the quoted text and a worked example.
Find a state or city
City ordinances: Berkeley, Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Portland, Saint Paul, San Francisco, Seattle. Other cities get the state rule.
No covered state or city matches.
A4 states
C3 states
- California CA · 21 calendar days
- Colorado CO · 30 calendar days
- Connecticut CT · 21 calendar days from the forwarding address
D2 states
- Delaware DE · 20 calendar days
- District of Columbia DC · 45 calendar days
F1 state
- Florida FL · 15 calendar days
G1 state
- Georgia GA · 30 calendar days
H1 state
- Hawaii HI · 14 calendar days
I4 states
L1 state
- Louisiana LA · 1 month
M8 states
- Maine ME · 30 calendar days
- Maryland MD · 45 calendar days
- Massachusetts MA · 30 calendar days
- Michigan MI · 30 calendar days
- Minnesota MN · 21 calendar days
- Mississippi MS · 45 calendar days
- Missouri MO · 30 calendar days
- Montana MT · 30 calendar days
N8 states
- Nebraska NE · 14 calendar days
- Nevada NV · 30 calendar days
- New Hampshire NH · 30 calendar days
- New Jersey NJ · 30 calendar days
- New Mexico NM · 30 calendar days
- New York NY · 14 calendar days
- North Carolina NC · 30 calendar days
- North Dakota ND · 30 calendar days
P1 state
- Pennsylvania PA · 30 calendar days
R1 state
- Rhode Island RI · 20 calendar days
S2 states
- South Carolina SC · 30 calendar days
- South Dakota SD · 21 calendar days
T2 states
U1 state
- Utah UT · 30 calendar days
W4 states
- Washington WA · 30 calendar days
- West Virginia WV · 60 calendar days
- Wisconsin WI · 21 calendar days
- Wyoming WY · 30 calendar days
City ordinances8 cities
- Berkeley, CA California
- Chicago, IL Illinois
- Los Angeles, CA California
- Minneapolis, MN Minnesota
- Portland, OR Oregon
- Saint Paul, MN Minnesota
- San Francisco, CA California
- Seattle, WA Washington
Limits
- Useful lives come from HUD's chart and industry tables (carpet 8 years, 10 in California and Colorado; paint 3, 2 in California by the DRE step table; blinds 3; appliances 10).
- Penalties are exposure under the statute, not a prediction of a court's award.
- It does not price repairs, write tenant letters or hold deposits.
How it works · Use it from your AI assistant or the API
Computes and cites the published rule; it is not legal advice. You sign the statement: check the statute, your lease and any local ordinance first. Read the disclaimer.
Nothing you enter is stored: we ask for a state, amounts, dates and categories, never a tenant's name or address.