If you rent, two questions come up again and again: how much can a landlord charge for a security deposit, and how long do they have to give it back after you move out? Both answers are set by each state's landlord-tenant law, and they vary widely. This tool shows the statutory deposit cap and the return deadline for your state, each cited to the statute — and where a state hasn't set one, it says so and links the official rules instead of guessing. It does not predict the outcome of a deposit dispute or estimate a dollar amount.
How much a landlord can require for a security deposit is set by state law, and the rules differ sharply. Many states cap the deposit at a multiple of one month's rent — for example one and a half months' rent in Arizona, or three months' rent in Nevada — while others, including Texas, set no statutory maximum at all and leave the amount to the lease. New Mexico caps the deposit at one month's rent for leases shorter than a year but sets no cap for longer leases. Some states also limit additional pet deposits or require deposits to be held in a separate account. Because the cap is a creature of each state's statute, the only reliable figure is the one written into your state's law, which is why this tool cites the specific statute for every number it shows.
Once the tenancy ends and you return possession of the unit, state law gives the landlord a fixed window to return your deposit — commonly fourteen to thirty days — usually along with an itemized statement of any deductions. Landlords can typically withhold money for unpaid rent and for damage beyond normal wear and tear, but not for ordinary aging such as minor scuffs or worn carpet. Many states require the tenant to provide a forwarding address in writing before the clock starts, and a few count business days rather than calendar days. Missing the statutory deadline can expose a landlord to penalties in some states. The exact deadline and what counts as a lawful deduction are defined by your state's landlord-tenant act.
If your deposit isn't returned on time, or the deductions look wrong, the usual first step is a written demand to the landlord that references the state's return-deadline statute and asks for the itemized accounting and the balance owed. Keeping copies of the lease, your move-out photos, and any communications makes the claim far easier to prove. If a demand doesn't resolve it, most disputes over a deposit fall well within the small-claims limit, and state courts publish self-help guides for filing. Some states also let a tenant recover extra statutory damages when a landlord wrongfully withholds a deposit — your state's statute and courts' self-help center spell out what is available.
Whether the deposit amount is capped, and how many days a landlord has to return it after a tenancy ends, in every state. A cell shows a figure where a verified statute sets one; otherwise the row links that state's primary source so you can read the rule directly.
| State | Deposit cap | Return deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1× monthly rent (except for pets, changes to the premises, or increased liability risks to the landlord or premises) | 60 calendar days | Ala. Code § 35-9A-201 |
| Alaska | 2× monthly rent (Does not apply to rental units where the rent exceeds $2,000 a month; a landlord may also require an additional pet deposit (for a non-service animal) not to exceed one month's periodic rent.) | 14 calendar days | Alaska Stat. § 34.03.070 |
| Arizona | 1.5× monthly rent | 14 business days | A.R.S. §33-1321 (security deposits) |
| Arkansas | 2× monthly rent (Per Ark. Code §18-16-303, the security-deposit subchapter (including this cap) does not apply to a landlord who owns five or fewer dwelling units, unless those units are managed by a third party for a fee.) | 60 calendar days | Ark. Code §18-16-305 (refund); cap at §18-16-304 |
| California | 1× monthly rent (Since July 1, 2024 (AB 12) the cap is one month's rent for furnished or unfurnished units. A small landlord who owns no more than two residential properties with four or fewer units total may collect up to two months' rent.) | 21 calendar days | Cal. Civ. Code §1950.5 (security deposits) |
| Colorado | See source | See source | Colo. Rev. Stat. §38-12-103 |
| Connecticut | 2× monthly rent (For a tenant 62 years of age or older, the maximum is one month's rent.) | 21 calendar days | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21 |
| Delaware | 1× monthly rent (Applies where the rental agreement is for 1 year or more; the statute sets no maximum for shorter (e.g. month-to-month) terms.) | 20 calendar days | 25 Del. C. § 5514 |
| District of Columbia | Not yet sourced | — | — |
| Florida | No statutory cap | 15 calendar days | Fla. Stat. §83.49 (security deposits) |
| Georgia | No statutory cap | 30 calendar days | O.C.G.A. § 44-7-34 |
| Hawaii | 1× monthly rent | 14 calendar days | Haw. Rev. Stat. §521-44 |
| Idaho | No statutory cap | 21 calendar days | Idaho Code § 6-321 |
| Illinois | No statutory cap | 45 calendar days | 765 ILCS 710/1 (Security Deposit Return Act) |
| Indiana | No statutory cap | 45 calendar days | Ind. Code § 32-31-3-12 |
| Iowa | 2× monthly rent | 30 calendar days | Iowa Code §562A.12 |
| Kansas | 1 month's rent (unfurnished); up to 1.5 months if furnished, plus up to 0.5 month extra for pets | 30 calendar days | K.S.A. 58-2550 |
| Kentucky | See source | See source | Ky. Rev. Stat. §383.500, Ky. Rev. Stat. §383.580(1), Ky. Rev. Stat. §383.580(4) |
| Louisiana | No statutory cap | 30 calendar days | La. R.S. 9:3251 |
| Maine | 2× monthly rent | 30 calendar days | Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, §6033 |
| Maryland | 1× monthly rent (For leases entered into on or after October 1, 2024, the cap is 1 month's rent; a deposit of up to 2 months' rent is permitted only where the tenant qualifies for utility assistance and pays utilities directly to the landlord under a written agreement.) | 45 calendar days | Md. Code, Real Property § 8-203 |
| Massachusetts | 1× monthly rent (No lessor may require an amount in excess of the first month's rent as a security deposit (in addition to first and last month's rent and a lawful lock/key fee).) | 30 calendar days | M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B |
| Michigan | 1.5× monthly rent (Security deposit shall not exceed 1 1/2 months' rent (Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.602).) | 30 calendar days | Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.609 |
| Minnesota | No statutory cap | 21 calendar days | Minn. Stat. § 504B.178 |
| Mississippi | No statutory cap | 45 calendar days | Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21 |
| Missouri | 2× monthly rent | 30 calendar days | Mo. Rev. Stat. §535.300 |
| Montana | No statutory cap | 30 calendar days | Mont. Code Ann. § 70-25-202 |
| Nebraska | 1× monthly rent (Limited to one month's periodic rent; a pet deposit not exceeding one-fourth of one month's periodic rent may additionally be demanded.) | 14 calendar days | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416 |
| Nevada | 3× monthly rent | 30 calendar days | NRS 118A.242 (security deposits) |
| New Hampshire | One month's rent or $100, whichever is greater | 30 calendar days | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A:7 |
| New Jersey | 1.5× monthly rent (Per N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.2; any additional security collected annually may not exceed 10% of the current security deposit.) | 30 calendar days | N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.1 (return); cap at N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.2 |
| New Mexico | 1× monthly rent (This one-month cap applies to leases shorter than one year. For a lease of one year or longer, New Mexico sets no dollar cap on the deposit.) | 30 calendar days | NMSA 1978, §47-8-18 (deposits) |
| New York | 1× monthly rent (Since the 2019 Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act, the deposit (plus any advance) may not exceed one month's rent for most residential tenancies.) | 14 calendar days | N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law §7-108 |
| North Carolina | Up to 2 weeks' rent (week-to-week), 1.5 months' rent (month-to-month), or 2 months' rent (terms longer than month-to-month) | 30 calendar days | N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 42-51, 42-52 |
| North Dakota | 1× monthly rent (General maximum is one month's rent; the statute allows more (e.g., up to two months' rent) where the tenant has a felony conviction or a prior lease violation, and a pet security deposit may not exceed the greater of $2,500 or two months' rent.) | 30 calendar days | N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1 |
| Ohio | No statutory cap | 30 calendar days | Ohio Rev. Code §5321.16 |
| Oklahoma | No statutory cap | 45 calendar days | 41 Okla. Stat. § 115 |
| Oregon | No statutory cap | 31 calendar days | Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.300 |
| Pennsylvania | Two months' rent during the first year of the lease; no more than one month's rent during the second and subsequent years or any renewal | 30 calendar days | 68 P.S. §§ 250.511a, 250.512 (PA Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951) |
| Rhode Island | 1× monthly rent (one month's periodic rent) | 20 calendar days | R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19 |
| South Carolina | No statutory cap | 30 calendar days | S.C. Code § 27-40-410 |
| South Dakota | 1× monthly rent (A larger deposit may be agreed upon between the lessor and lessee where special conditions pose a danger to maintenance of the premises (SDCL 43-32-6.1).) | 14 calendar days | SDCL § 43-32-24 (return) & § 43-32-6.1 (cap) |
| Tennessee | See source | See source | Tenn. Code §66-28-102(a), Tenn. Code §66-28-301(a), Tenn. Code §66-28-301(f) |
| Texas | No statutory cap | 30 calendar days | Tex. Prop. Code §92.103 (return of security deposit) |
| Utah | No statutory cap | 30 calendar days | Utah Code § 57-17-3 |
| Vermont | No statutory cap | 14 calendar days | 9 V.S.A. § 4461 |
| Virginia | 2× monthly rent | 45 calendar days | Va. Code § 55.1-1226 |
| Washington | No statutory cap | 30 calendar days | Wash. Rev. Code §59.18.280 |
| West Virginia | No statutory cap | 60 calendar days | W. Va. Code §37-6A-1 |
| Wisconsin | No statutory cap | 21 calendar days | Wis. Stat. § 704.28 |
| Wyoming | No statutory cap | 30 calendar days | Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1208 |
General statutory information, not legal advice. Caps and deadlines carry exceptions — for example, the return clock often starts only once the tenant gives a written forwarding address. Open the cited statute for the exact text and confirm the current law for your state.
Disclaimer: NotALawyer.com provides general legal information, not legal advice, and is not a law firm. Using a tool does not create an attorney–client relationship. Laws change and vary by situation — verify anything important with the official source or a licensed attorney in your state.