Primary-source research · 42 jurisdictions measured · the trigger, not just the days
Security Deposit Return Deadlines by State
Of 42 jurisdictions measured, only 8 start the clock when the tenant moves out. In the other 34, “within N days of vacating” is the wrong rule.
Every table of deposit deadlines publishes the number of days. The variable that decides real disputes is which event starts counting.
Video: why the event that starts the deposit clock matters more than the number of days, and where the two diverge.
Key takeaways
- Only 8 of 42 measured jurisdictions start the clock when the tenant vacates. The common phrasing is wrong law in the other 34.
- Six different patterns exist, including states that require both events, the later of two, and two that use the earlier.
- Every row quotes the operative statutory language verbatim with its citation.
- 10 jurisdictions are deliberately blank — nine because a primary source could not be established, and Puerto Rico because the primary source was read in full and says nothing.
Why the trigger decides the case
A tenant who moves out on the 10th but whose lease runs to the 30th has vacated on one date and terminated on another. Florida’s clock runs from termination of the rental agreement. Texas’s runs from surrender of the premises. The identical sentence is wrong law in one state and right in the other. For the wider deposit rules in a given state, see our landlord-tenant laws by state hub.
The six patterns
- Tenant vacates — The clock starts when the tenant actually leaves – vacates, surrenders, or delivers up possession.
- Tenancy ends — The clock starts when the tenancy or rental agreement terminates, which can be before or after the tenant physically leaves.
- Both events — The statute requires both termination and delivery of possession before the clock starts.
- Later of the two — The statute says whichever of the two events occurs last.
- Earlier of the two — The statute says whichever of the two events occurs first.
- Depends on tenancy type — Which event starts the clock depends on the kind of tenancy; both phrasings can be correct law in the same state.
The deposit clock is also the point where a screening decision comes back around: the condition a unit is returned in, and who is on the hook for it, traces to who was approved in the first place. Our tenant screening laws by state guide and the deposit itemization form cover the two ends of that.
Deadline and trigger, by jurisdiction
| Jurisdiction | Days | Clock starts on | The operative statutory language | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 14 business | Both events | “Within fourteen days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays or other legal holidays, after termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession and demand by the tenant” | A.R.S. § 33-1321(D) VERIFIED |
| Arkansas | 60 | Tenancy ends | “Within sixty (60) days of termination of the tenancy, property or money held by the landlord as security shall be returned to the tenant” | Ark. Code § 18-16-305(a)(1) VERIFIED |
| California | 21 | Tenant vacates | “No later than 21 calendar days after the tenant has vacated the premises” | Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(h)(1) VERIFIED |
| Colorado | 30 | Later of the two | “within one month after the termination of a lease or surrender and acceptance of the premises, whichever occurs last … unless the lease agreement specifies a longer period of time, but not to exceed sixty days”HB 25-1249 replaced ‘one month’ with 30 days, eff. 2026-01-01; the enrolled bill PDF is a scanned image with no text layer, so the duration could not be re-read. | C.R.S. § 38-12-103(1) MIXED |
| Connecticut | 21 (or 15 after forwarding address) | Later of the two | “Not later than twenty-one days after termination of a tenancy or fifteen days after receiving written notification of such tenant’s forwarding address, whichever is later” | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(d)(2) VERIFIED |
| Florida | 15 (no claim) / 30 (claim) | Tenancy ends | “must return the security deposit … within 15 days after the termination of the rental agreement” | Fla. Stat. § 83.49(3)(a) VERIFIED |
| Georgia | 30 | Tenant vacates | “Within 30 days after obtaining possession of the premises as provided in subsection (b) of Code § 44-7-33, a landlord shall return … the full security deposit” | O.C.G.A. § 44-7-34(a) VERIFIED |
| Hawaii | 14 | Tenancy ends | “shall be returned to the tenant not later than fourteen days after the termination of the rental agreement” | HRS § 521-44(c) VERIFIED |
| Idaho | 21 default / 30 max | Tenant vacates | “Refunds shall be made within twenty-one (21) days if no time is fixed by agreement and, in any event, within thirty (30) days after surrender of the premises by the tenant” | Idaho Code § 6-321(2) VERIFIED |
| Illinois | 30 to itemise | Later of the two | “a lessor of residential real property who has received a security deposit … may not withhold any part of that deposit as reimbursement for property damage unless the lessor has, within 30 days of the date that the lessee vacated the leased premises or within 30 days of the date the lessee’s right of possession ends, whichever is later, furnished to the lessee … an itemized statement of the damage” — and, if that statement is not furnished, “the lessor shall return the security deposit in full within 45 days” | 765 ILCS 710/1(a) VERIFIED The former “containing 5 or more units” threshold was struck by P.A. 103-224, eff. 2024-01-01. |
| Indiana | 45 | Both events | “delivered to the tenant not more than forty-five (45) days after termination of the rental agreement and delivery of possession” | Ind. Code § 32-31-3-12(a) VERIFIED |
| Iowa | 30 | Tenancy ends | “within thirty days from the date of termination of the tenancy and receipt of the tenant’s mailing address or delivery instructions” | Iowa Code § 562A.12(3) VERIFIED |
| Kansas | 30 | Tenancy ends | “within 14 days after the determination of the amount of such expenses … but in no event to exceed 30 days after termination of the tenancy” | K.S.A. § 58-2550(b) VERIFIED |
| Maine | 30 written lease / 21 at-will | Depends on tenancy type | “A. In the case of a written rental agreement, within the time, not to exceed 30 days, stated in the agreement; and B. In the case of a tenancy at will, within 21 days after the termination of the tenancy or the surrender and acceptance of the premises, whichever occurs later” | 14 M.R.S. § 6033(2) VERIFIED |
| Maryland | 45 | Tenancy ends | “Within 45 days after the end of the tenancy, the landlord shall return the security deposit” | Md. Real Prop. § 8-203(e) VERIFIED |
| Massachusetts | 30 | Depends on tenancy type | “within thirty days after the termination of occupancy under a tenancy-at-will or the end of the tenancy as specified in a valid written lease agreement” | Mass. G.L. c.186 § 15B(4) VERIFIED |
| Michigan | 30 | Tenant vacates | “the landlord shall mail to the tenant, within 30 days after the termination of occupancy, an itemized list of damages claimed” | MCL § 554.609 VERIFIED |
| Minnesota | 21 (three weeks) | Tenancy ends | “within three weeks after termination of the tenancy … and after receipt of the tenant’s mailing address or delivery instructions” | Minn. Stat. § 504B.178 subd. 3 VERIFIED |
| Mississippi | 45 | Both events | “returned to the tenant no later than forty-five (45) days after the termination of his tenancy, the delivery of possession and demand by the tenant” | Miss. Code § 89-8-21(3) VERIFIED |
| Missouri | 30 | Tenancy ends | “Within thirty days after the date of termination of the tenancy, the landlord shall: (1) Return the full amount of the security deposit” | RSMo § 535.300(3) VERIFIED |
| Montana | 30 (10 if nothing is deducted) | Earlier of the two | “within 30 days subsequent to the termination of a tenancy or within 30 days subsequent to a surrender and acceptance of the leasehold premises, whichever occurs first” | Mont. Code § 70-25-202(1)(a)(i), (1)(b)(i) VERIFIED |
| Nebraska | 14 | Tenancy ends | “The balance, if any, and a written itemization shall be delivered or mailed to the tenant within fourteen days after the date of termination of the tenancy” | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416(2) VERIFIED |
| Nevada | 30 | Tenancy ends | “return any remaining portion of the security deposit to the tenant no later than 30 days after the termination of the tenancy” | NRS § 118A.242(4) VERIFIED |
| New Hampshire | 30 | Tenancy ends | “a landlord shall return a security deposit to a tenant and pay the interest due, if any, within 30 days from the termination of the tenancy” | RSA § 540-A:7 I VERIFIED |
| New Jersey | 30 | Tenancy ends | “Within 30 days after the termination of the tenant’s lease or licensee’s agreement, the owner or lessee shall return … the sum so deposited” | N.J.S.A. § 46:8-21.1 VERIFIED |
| New Mexico | 30 | Later of the two | “within thirty days of the date of termination of the rental agreement or resident departure, whichever is later” | NMSA § 47-8-18(C) VERIFIED |
| New York | 14 | Tenant vacates | “Within fourteen days after the tenant has vacated the premises” | N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(e) VERIFIED |
| North Carolina | 30 | Both events | “no later than 30 days after termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession of the premises to the landlord” | N.C.G.S. § 42-52 VERIFIED |
| North Dakota | 30 | Both events | “delivered or mailed to the lessee … within thirty days after termination of the lease and delivery of possession by the lessee” | N.D.C.C. § 47-16-07.1 VERIFIED |
| Ohio | 30 | Both events | “within thirty days after termination of the rental agreement and delivery of possession” | R.C. § 5321.16(B) VERIFIED |
| Oregon | 31 | Both events | “within 31 days after the tenancy terminates and the tenant delivers possession” | ORS 90.300(12)-(13) VERIFIED |
| Rhode Island | 20 | Later of the two | “within twenty (20) days after the later of either termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession or the tenant’s forwarding address” | R.I.G.L. § 34-18-19(b) VERIFIED |
| South Carolina | 30 | Later of the two | “within thirty days after termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession and demand by the tenant, whichever is later” | S.C. Code § 27-40-410(a) VERIFIED |
| South Dakota | 21 | Tenancy ends | “within twenty-one days after the termination of the tenancy and receipt of the tenant’s mailing address or delivery instructions” | SDCL § 43-32-24 VERIFIED |
| Texas | 30 | Tenant vacates | “on or before the 30th day after the date the tenant surrenders the premises” | Tex. Prop. Code § 92.103 VERIFIED |
| Utah | 30 | Tenant vacates | “No later than 30 days after the day on which a renter vacates and returns possession”Amended ch. 275, 2025 General Session. | Utah Code § 57-17-3(2) VERIFIED |
| Vermont | 14 (60 seasonal) | Tenant vacates | “within 14 days from the date on which the landlord discovers that the tenant vacated or abandoned the dwelling unit or the date the tenant vacated” | 9 V.S.A. § 4461(c) VERIFIED |
| Virginia | 45 | Later of the two | “within 45 days after the termination date of the tenancy or the date the tenant vacates the dwelling unit, whichever occurs last” | Va. Code § 55.1-1226(A) VERIFIED |
| Washington | 30 | Both events | “Within 30 days after the termination of the rental agreement and vacation of the premises” | RCW 59.18.280(1) VERIFIED |
| West Virginia | 60 / 45 (whichever is shorter) | Earlier of the two | “Upon termination of the tenancy and within the applicable notice period, any security deposit held by the landlord … shall be delivered to the tenant” — and “‘Notice period’ means: (A) within 60 days of the termination of the tenancy; or (B) within 45 days of the occupation of the premise by a subsequent tenant, whichever time period is shorter” | W. Va. Code §§ 37-6A-2(a), 37-6A-1(7) VERIFIED |
| Wisconsin | 21 | Depends on tenancy type | “within 21 days after: (a) if the tenant vacates on the termination date, the date the rental agreement terminates; (b) if the tenant vacates or is evicted before that date, the termination date or, if re-rented, the date the new tenancy begins” | Wis. Admin. Code ATCP § 134.06(2) VERIFIED |
| Wyoming | 30 (+30 if damage) | Later of the two | “within thirty (30) days after termination of the rental agreement or within fifteen (15) days after receipt of the renter’s new mailing address, whichever is later” | Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1208(a) VERIFIED |
The 10 jurisdictions left blank, and why
These are not omissions of convenience, and they are not all the same kind of gap. In nine cases a primary source could not be established, and the specific route that failed is recorded. In one — Puerto Rico — the primary source was read in full and contains no such rule at all. A plausible number here would be worse than a gap.
| Jurisdiction | Why no row was written |
|---|---|
| Alabama | justia 403 on both the plain and year-prefixed paths; public.law refused connections |
| Alaska | justia 404; akleg.gov returned a 2 KB shell with no operative words |
| Delaware | delcode.delaware.gov 404 on three subchapter paths; justia 404 |
| Kentucky | The Kentucky statute could not be reached at a stable official URL, so no figure is published here rather than one taken from a secondary source. |
| Louisiana | legis.la.gov returned a 2 KB shell; justia 404 |
| Oklahoma | justia 403 on the retry (it had answered once, then blocked) |
| Pennsylvania | legis.state.pa.us uconsCheck returned 1.2 KB with no operative words; justia 404 |
| Puerto Rico | Not a failed route. The Civil Code of 2020 lease chapter (Arts. 1331–1350, 31 L.P.R.A. §§ 10101–10173) was read in full and contains no security-deposit provision at all, so there is no statutory deadline or trigger to report. The landlord’s only duty at the end of the lease is to “recibir el bien, una vez concluido el arrendamiento” (Art. 1345(e)). The Ley de Alquileres Razonables (Ley 464-1946) was repealed in its entirety by Ley 57-1995, Art. 4. A deposit’s return is therefore governed by the lease contract and the Code’s general rules on obligations, not by a statutory clock. |
| Tennessee | Tenn. Code § 66-28-301 sets an inspection procedure and a 60-day abandonment rule; no plain return deadline was found in it, so no figure is published here. |
| Washington D.C. | Route not yet established. |
How this was verified
Each row was read from the jurisdiction’s own statute rather than summarised from secondary commentary, and carries the verbatim operative language so the reading can be checked. Where a source was fetched, a control confirmed the page really carried the operative words — a host that answers with a plausible shell cannot silently become a citation.
Rows that are not fully re-verified say so. One state is carried forward from earlier verified work without a re-fetch. Colorado’s trigger was re-verified while its day-count was carried. West Virginia’s deadline is pinned, but one section away from the one that states the duty: § 37-6A-2(a) requires return “within the applicable notice period”, and § 37-6A-1(7) defines that term as 60 days from termination of the tenancy or 45 days from a subsequent tenant taking occupation, whichever is shorter. Michigan’s statute says “termination of occupancy”, read here as the tenant leaving; the verbatim text is shown so a reader can weigh that themselves.
Scope of this table
- Deadlines only. Itemisation duties, forwarding-address rules and penalty multipliers interact with these clocks and are outside it — our deposit rules overview covers the surrounding duties.
- State law only. Local ordinances can impose shorter deadlines.
- A compilation of statutory text, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Is a security deposit due within 30 days of moving out?
In most states, no — and not because the number is wrong, but because the starting event is. Of 42 measured jurisdictions only 8 start the clock when the tenant vacates.
Why does the trigger matter more than the number of days?
Because the two events can be weeks apart. A tenant who moves out early but whose lease runs to month end has vacated on one date and terminated on another. Florida runs from termination of the rental agreement; Texas runs from surrender of the premises.
Which states are missing, and why?
10 jurisdictions are not listed. In nine cases a primary source could not be established; in Puerto Rico the primary source was read in full and contains no such rule. Each is shown with the specific route that failed. They are left blank rather than filled with a plausible number.
What happens if a landlord misses the deadline?
That is a separate question from the deadline itself and varies widely. Many states attach a penalty, some a multiple of the deposit, and some make the landlord liable for the tenant’s costs. Those provisions are outside this table; read the linked statute.
Does the clock depend on the tenant giving a forwarding address?
In several states it does, either as an alternative trigger or as a condition. Connecticut runs from termination or from receipt of a forwarding address, whichever is later, which is why it is recorded as a later-of rule rather than a plain deadline.
Does this cover itemised deductions as well as the refund?
No. Deadlines only. Itemisation duties, receipt rules and bad-faith provisions interact with these clocks and are outside this compilation.
How was each entry verified?
Each was read from the jurisdiction’s own statute and carries the verbatim operative language plus a citation, so the reading can be checked without taking it on trust. Rows not fully re-verified say so.
Citing this table
Free to cite and quote with attribution. The dataset — days, trigger, verbatim statutory language, citation and verification status per jurisdiction — is available for reuse.
Screen the applicant before the deposit question ever arises
Knowing the rule is half of it. The other half is knowing who is applying — verified identity, address history, and the records a written criteria policy is meant to be applied to.
Start a tenant screeningSee what each report coversRelated guides
Compiled by the Tenant Screening Background Check editorial team. Every row is read from the jurisdiction’s own statute and carries a primary citation, so the reading can be checked rather than taken on trust.
This page is a compilation of statutory text and is not legal advice. Statutes are amended, local ordinances can impose stricter rules where state law is silent, and how a rule applies to a particular tenancy depends on facts a table cannot capture. Before acting on any entry, confirm it against the linked primary source or consult an attorney licensed in that state; a landlord-tenant lawyer can tell you how the provision is actually applied there.
Last reviewed 2026. This page is re-verified against primary sources annually.
