What's in a deposit deadline answer
Each state page gives the number of days the landlord has to return the deposit, the event that starts the count, and what has to accompany a refund when the landlord keeps part of it. Every legal figure is tied to a cited source; see our methodology for how we verify each one.
How much the deadline differs
The rule is not national, and even the starting point changes. Examples we have read in the law itself:
- California — no later than 21 calendar days after the tenant has vacated, the landlord must furnish an itemized statement of the basis for and amount of any deduction (Cal. Civ. Code 1950.5(h)(1)).
- Florida — 15 days after the rental agreement ends if the landlord does not intend to make a claim; if the landlord does, written notice of the claim must go out within 30 days (Fla. Stat. 83.49(3)(a)).
- Texas — the landlord must refund the deposit on or before the 30th day after the tenant surrenders the premises, subject to the statute's forwarding-address provision (Tex. Prop. Code 92.103(a)).
Because the trigger, the number of days and the itemization duty all vary, a deadline copied from another state can be wrong by weeks.