Landlord Guide
Updated 2026
Landlord Security Deposit Guide: Deductions, Returns & Legal Compliance
Learn how to legally collect, hold, and return security deposits. This guide covers permissible deductions, required documentation, return deadlines, and how to avoid costly penalties in all 50 states.
Collecting Deposits
- Know your state's maximum limit
- Provide written receipt
- Use separate account if required
- Document move-in condition
- Take dated photos/video
Making Deductions
- Only deduct for actual damages
- Never deduct for normal wear
- Keep receipts for repairs
- Get multiple repair quotes
- Itemize all deductions
Returning Deposits
- Return within state deadline
- Send to forwarding address
- Include itemized statement
- Keep proof of mailing
- Add interest if required
Your State's Landlord Requirements
| State | Max Deposit | Return Deadline | Separate Account? | Interest? | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1 month rent (extra allowed for pets, alterations or added liability risk) | 60 days | No | No | Guide |
| Alaska | 2 months rent | 14 days (proper notice of termination given) / 30 days (no notice, or a deduction for damage) | No | No | Guide |
| Arizona | 1.5 months rent | 14 business days | No | No | Guide |
| Arkansas | 2 months rent | 60 days | No | Not confirmed | Guide |
| California | 1 month rent (two months for certain small landlords, Cal. Civ. Code 1950.5(c)) | 21 days | No | No | Guide |
| Colorado | 2 months rent | 30 days (or up to 60 if the lease says so) | No | No | Guide |
| Connecticut | 2 months rent | 21 days (or 15 days after a written forwarding address, if later) | Required | Yes | Guide |
| Delaware | 1 month rent | 20 days | No | No | Guide |
| Florida | No limit | 15 days (no claim); claim notice within 30 days | Required | No | Guide |
| Georgia | 2 months rent (leases signed or renewed from July 1, 2024) | 30 days | Required | Not confirmed | Guide |
| Hawaii | 1 month rent | 14 days | No | No | Guide |
| Idaho | No limit | 21 days (or up to 30 if the lease says so) | No | No | Guide |
| Illinois | No limit | 45 days (itemized damage statement due within 30) | No | Yes | Guide |
| Indiana | No limit | 45 days | No | No | Guide |
| Iowa | 2 months rent | 30 days | No | No | Guide |
| Kansas | 1 month rent (1.5 months if furnished) | 30 days | No | No | Guide |
| Kentucky | No limit | No fixed deadline in state law (KRS 383.580) | Required | No | Guide |
| Louisiana | No limit | 1 month (itemized statement up to 15 days later if anything is kept) | No | No | Guide |
| Maine | 2 months rent | 30 days (written rental agreement) / 21 days (tenancy at will) | No | No | Guide |
| Maryland | 1 month rent (2 months only in a narrow utility-assistance case) | 45 days | Required | Yes | Guide |
| Massachusetts | 1 month rent | 30 days | Required | Yes | Guide |
| Michigan | 1.5 months rent | 30 days | Required | No | Guide |
| Minnesota | No limit | 21 days | No | Yes | Guide |
| Mississippi | No limit | 45 days | No | No | Guide |
| Missouri | 2 months rent | 30 days | No | No | Guide |
| Montana | No limit | 10 days (no deductions) / 30 days (with deductions for rent, damage or cleaning) | No | No | Guide |
| Nebraska | 1 month rent (plus a pet deposit of up to a quarter of a month) | 14 days | No | No | Guide |
| Nevada | 3 months rent | 30 days | No | No | Guide |
| New Hampshire | 1 month rent (or $100, whichever is greater) | 30 days | No | Yes | Guide |
| New Jersey | 1.5 months rent | 30 days | Required | Yes | Guide |
| New Mexico | 1 month rent (lease under one year; no fixed limit for an annual lease) | 30 days | No | No | Guide |
| New York | 1 month rent | 14 days | Required | Yes | Guide |
| North Carolina | 2 months rent (1.5 months for month-to-month, 2 weeks for week-to-week) | 30 days | Required | No | Guide |
| North Dakota | 1 month rent (up to 2 months from a tenant with a felony conviction or a judgment for breaking a previous lease) | 30 days | No | Yes | Guide |
| Ohio | No limit | 30 days | No | Yes | Guide |
| Oklahoma | No limit | 45 days | Required | No | Guide |
| Oregon | No limit | 31 days | No | No | Guide |
| Pennsylvania | 2 months rent (first year of a lease; 1 month after) | 30 days | Required | Yes | Guide |
| Rhode Island | 1 month rent | 20 days | No | No | Guide |
| South Carolina | No limit | 30 days | No | No | Guide |
| South Dakota | 1 month rent | 21 days (itemized accounting within 45 days if the tenant asks) | No | No | Guide |
| Tennessee | No limit | No fixed deadline confirmed (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301) | Required | Not confirmed | Guide |
| Texas | No limit | 30 days | No | No | Guide |
| Utah | No limit | 30 days | No | No | Guide |
| Vermont | No limit | 14 days | No | No | Guide |
| Virginia | 2 months rent | 45 days | No | No | Guide |
| Washington | No limit | 30 days | No | No | Guide |
| West Virginia | No limit | 60 days | No | No | Guide |
| Wisconsin | No limit | 21 days | No | No | Guide |
| Wyoming | No limit | 30 days (or 15 days after the renter gives a new mailing address, if later); 30 days longer if there is damage | No | No | Guide |
Common Landlord Mistakes to Avoid
- Missing the deadline: Late returns often mean forfeiting your right to deduct
- No itemization: You must provide a detailed breakdown of deductions
- Deducting for wear: Normal wear and tear is never deductible
- No documentation: Without photos and inspection reports, you can't prove damage
- Wrong address: Send to tenant's forwarding address, not the rental
- Commingling funds: Some states require separate deposit accounts
Need Security Deposit Documents?
Create move-in/move-out inspection forms, deposit receipts, and itemized deduction letters.