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Landlord guide · Move-out
Security deposit return deadlines by state
How many days you have to return a tenant's security deposit after move-out in each state and DC, and whether you owe an itemized statement when you keep part of it. Miss the deadline and many states take away your right to keep any of it.
Last reviewed October 28, 2026 · Review by April 28, 2027
Cited facts, not advice. Each row names the statute it comes from. Statutes change and some cities and counties add their own rules, so check the current text before you rely on a date. When a dispute is brewing, ask a local attorney.
How to read the table
- Days is the number DoorWorth's deposit letter uses for that state. It is the commonly cited window, and for states with two steps (Florida's 15 and 30 days, for example) it is the shorter, earlier one, because missing a deadline costs money and returning early never does.
- When the clock starts differs by state: move-out, the end of the lease, the day you get a forwarding address, or whichever comes later. The notes column says what each statute keys on. Most count calendar days. Arizona doesn't count weekends or holidays.
- Itemized statement means a written list of what you kept and why. Every state below requires one in some form when you keep part of the deposit. A few want more, such as Massachusetts' sworn list.
- Checked means the day count was compared on 2026-10-28 with the statute's own text where the state publishes it online (those rows link to it), or else with published summaries that quote the statute. Verify means the sources disagreed or the law changed recently. Read the statute before you rely on that row.
| State | Days | Itemized statement when you keep part | Statute | What to know | Source check |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama AL | 60 | Yes | Ala. Code §35-9A-201 | 60 days after the tenancy ends and possession is returned. | Checked |
| Alaska AK | 14 | Yes | Alaska Stat. §34.03.070 | 14 days if the tenant gave proper notice; 30 days if not. | Checked |
| Arizona AZ | 14 | Yes | Ariz. Rev. Stat. §33-1321 | 14 days, not counting Saturdays, Sundays or legal holidays. | Checked |
| Arkansas AR | 60 | Yes | Ark. Code §18-16-305 | Most summaries say 60 days; one older excerpt says 30. Confirm the current text. | Verify |
| California CA | 21 | Yes | Cal. Civ. Code §1950.5 | 21 days after the tenant moves out. | Checked |
| Colorado CO | 30 | Yes, the exact reasons | Colo. Rev. Stat. §38-12-103 | 30 days from January 1, 2026 (HB 25-1249, signed June 3, 2025; it was one month). A lease can set a longer period, up to 60 days. | Checked |
| Connecticut CT | 21 | Yes | Conn. Gen. Stat. §47a-21 | 21 days after the tenancy ends, or 15 days after you get the tenant's forwarding address, whichever is later. | Checked |
| Delaware DE | 20 | Yes | Del. Code tit. 25, §5514 | 20 days after the rental agreement ends. | Checked |
| District of Columbia DC | 45 | Yes | D.C. Code §42-3502.17 | 45 days to return the deposit or tell the tenant in writing you're keeping part. Sources differ on when the itemized statement is due. Confirm the timing. | Checked |
| Florida FL | 15 | Written notice of your claim | Fla. Stat. §83.49 | 15 days if you keep nothing; 30 days to send a written notice of claim. | Checked |
| Georgia GA | 30 | Yes | Ga. Code §44-7-34 | 30 days after the tenancy ends and possession is returned. | Checked |
| Hawaii HI | 14 | Yes | Haw. Rev. Stat. §521-44 | 14 days after the rental agreement ends. | Checked |
| Idaho ID | 21 | Yes | Idaho Code §6-321 | 21 days; up to 30 if the lease says so. | Checked |
| Illinois IL | 30 | Yes | 765 Ill. Comp. Stat. 710/1 | For buildings with 5 or more units: itemized statement within 30 days, and the full deposit back within 45 days if you send none. | Checked |
| Indiana IN | 45 | Yes | Ind. Code §32-31-3-12, -14 | Itemized list within 45 days after the tenancy ends. The tenant has to give you a mailing address in writing. | Checked |
| Iowa IA | 30 | Yes, the specific reasons | Iowa Code §562A.12 | 30 days after the tenancy ends and you have the tenant's mailing address. | Checked |
| Kansas KS | 30 | Yes | Kan. Stat. §58-2550 | Within 14 days after you work out the deductions, and no later than 30 days after the tenancy ends, possession is returned and the tenant asks for it. | Checked |
| Kentucky KY | 30 | Yes | Ky. Rev. Stat. §383.580 | Summaries disagree on how the 30- and 60-day periods work. DoorWorth uses the shorter 30. Confirm locally. | Verify |
| Louisiana LA | 30 | Yes | La. Rev. Stat. §9:3251 | The statute says one month after the lease ends, and a 2026 bill amending this section was enrolled. Confirm the current text. | Verify |
| Maine ME | 21 | Yes | Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, §6033 | 21 days for a tenancy at will. With a written lease, the time the lease states, up to 30 days. | Checked |
| Maryland MD | 45 | Yes | Md. Code, Real Prop. §8-203 | 45 days after the tenancy ends. | Checked |
| Massachusetts MA | 30 | Yes, sworn | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, §15B | 30 days. Deductions for damage need a sworn, itemized list with written evidence of the repair cost. | Checked |
| Michigan MI | 30 | Yes | Mich. Comp. Laws §554.609 | Itemized notice of damages within 30 days after the tenant moves out. | Checked |
| Minnesota MN | 21 | Yes, the specific reasons | Minn. Stat. §504B.178 | Three weeks after the tenancy ends and you have the tenant's mailing address. | Checked |
| Mississippi MS | 45 | Yes | Miss. Code §89-8-21 | 45 days after the tenancy ends. | Checked |
| Missouri MO | 30 | Yes | Mo. Rev. Stat. §535.300 | 30 days after the tenancy ends. | Checked |
| Montana MT | 10 | Yes, a written list | Mont. Code §70-25-202 | 10 days if there's nothing to deduct; 30 days with a written list of charges. | Checked |
| Nebraska NE | 14 | Yes | Neb. Rev. Stat. §76-1416 | 14 days after the tenancy ends. | Checked |
| Nevada NV | 30 | Yes | Nev. Rev. Stat. §118A.242 | 30 days after the tenancy ends. | Checked |
| New Hampshire NH | 30 | Yes | N.H. Rev. Stat. §540-A:7 | 30 days after the tenancy ends. | Checked |
| New Jersey NJ | 30 | Yes | N.J. Stat. §46:8-21.1 | 30 days after the tenancy ends. | Checked |
| New Mexico NM | 30 | Yes | N.M. Stat. §47-8-18 | 30 days after the tenancy ends or the tenant leaves, whichever is later. | Checked |
| New York NY | 14 | Yes | N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law §7-108 | 14 days after the tenant moves out. | Checked |
| North Carolina NC | 30 | Yes | N.C. Gen. Stat. §42-52 | 30 days; up to 60 if you send an interim accounting by day 30. | Checked |
| North Dakota ND | 30 | Yes | N.D. Cent. Code §47-16-07.1 | 30 days after the tenancy ends and possession is returned. | Checked |
| Ohio OH | 30 | Yes | Ohio Rev. Code §5321.16 | 30 days after the tenancy ends and possession is returned. | Checked |
| Oklahoma OK | 45 | Yes | Okla. Stat. tit. 41, §115 | 45 days. Summaries disagree on whether the tenant's written demand starts the clock. | Checked |
| Oregon OR | 31 | Yes, a written accounting | Or. Rev. Stat. §90.300 | 31 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant returns possession. | Checked |
| Pennsylvania PA | 30 | Yes | 68 Pa. Stat. §250.512 | 30 days after the lease ends or the tenant gives up the unit. | Checked |
| Rhode Island RI | 20 | Yes | R.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-19 | 20 days after the tenancy ends and you have a forwarding address. | Checked |
| South Carolina SC | 30 | Yes | S.C. Code §27-40-410 | 30 days after the tenancy ends. | Checked |
| South Dakota SD | 14 | Written reasons; an itemized accounting on request within 45 days | S.D. Codified Laws §43-32-24 | A 2026 law (Senate Bill 4, signed February 11, 2026) changed two weeks to 21 days after the tenancy ends and you have the tenant's mailing address. DoorWorth's table still shows the earlier 14 days. | Verify |
| Tennessee TN | 30 | Yes | Tenn. Code §66-28-301 | Sources disagree on the day count, and the statute applies only in some counties. Confirm locally. | Verify |
| Texas TX | 30 | Yes | Tex. Prop. Code §§92.103–92.104 | 30 days after the tenant gives up the unit. A written forwarding address matters. | Checked |
| Utah UT | 30 | Yes | Utah Code §57-17-3 | 30 days after the renter moves out and returns possession. | Checked |
| Vermont VT | 14 | Yes | Vt. Stat. tit. 9, §4461 | 14 days after you learn the tenant has moved out; 60 days for a seasonal rental that isn't a primary home. | Checked |
| Virginia VA | 45 | Yes | Va. Code §55.1-1226 | 45 days after the tenancy ends. | Checked |
| Washington WA | 30 | Yes, a full and specific statement | Wash. Rev. Code §59.18.280 | 30 days (it was 21 before 2023). | Checked |
| West Virginia WV | 60 | Yes | W. Va. Code §§37-6A-1, -2 | 60 days after the tenancy ends, or 45 days after a new tenant moves in, whichever is sooner. | Checked |
| Wisconsin WI | 21 | Yes | Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.06; Wis. Stat. §704.28 | 21 days after the tenant moves out or the tenancy ends. | Checked |
| Wyoming WY | 30 | Yes | Wyo. Stat. §1-21-1208 | 30 days after the lease ends, or 15 days after you get the tenant's new address, whichever is later. | Checked |
Days column: DoorWorth's state table (the same table on iPhone and the web; the app's own review date is March 2027). Statutes and notes checked 2026-10-28. Interest on deposits, deposit caps and penalties also vary by state. This page covers only the return deadline and the itemized statement.
What the five Verify rows mean
- South Dakota changed its law in 2026. Senate Bill 4 (2026 S.D. Sess. Laws ch. 179, signed February 11, 2026) replaced "two weeks" with 21 days after the tenancy ends and you get the tenant's mailing address. DoorWorth's table still shows 14 days. That is earlier than the new deadline, but it is no longer the statute's number. (Session law text, checked 2026-10-28.)
- Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and Tennessee: the summaries checked disagreed on the day count or on how the statute applies, or a 2026 bill amended the section. Read the current statute for these states.
Where DoorWorth fits
When you record a tenant's move-out in DoorWorth, the deposit return letter shows your state's day count and the date it lands on, counted from the move-out date. It drafts the itemized statement from the deductions you enter, with the deposit, each deduction and the balance. You review it line by line, and nothing sends on its own.
Know the date before the keys come back
Enter the move-out date, and DoorWorth shows the deadline for your state and drafts the itemized letter from your records.
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