Checked against the official text, October 30, 2026
Security deposit laws by state
Every state gives landlords a deadline to return your deposit or explain what they kept, and most punish a landlord who ignores it. Here are the rules in the five states we cover, each read from the statute itself.
| State | Deadline | Penalty | Small claims limit | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 21 days | The amount withheld, plus up to 2× the deposit | $12,500 | Civ. Code § 1950.5 |
| Texas | 30 days | $100 + 3× the amount withheld | $20,000 | Prop. Code § 92.109 |
| Florida | 15/30 days | The deposit, plus court costs and attorney's fees | $8,000 | Fla. Stat. § 83.49 |
| New York | 14 days | The amount withheld, plus up to 2× the deposit | $10,000 | Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108 |
| Illinois | 30/45 days | 2× the deposit due, plus costs and fees | $10,000 | 765 ILCS 710/1 |
Florida: 15 days to return, 30 to send a notice of claim. Illinois: 30 days to itemize with receipts, 45 to return. Texas: counted from your written forwarding address. Penalties depend on what a court finds.
California
California gives landlords 21 days to return your deposit or send an itemized statement, and since 2024 and 2025 the rules have gotten stricter: a one-month cap on most new deposits, and photos before and after any repair or cleaning they charge you for.
Texas
Texas gives landlords 30 days to refund your deposit or send an itemized list, but the clock only starts once you've given a forwarding address in writing. Get that right and Texas has one of the strongest penalties in the country: $100 plus three times what was wrongfully kept.
Florida
Florida gives landlords two options: return your deposit within 15 days, or send a formal notice of any claim by certified mail within 30 days. A landlord who does neither loses the right to take anything from your deposit.
New York
Since the 2019 Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act, New York has some of the strictest deposit rules in the country: a one-month cap, a short list of allowed deductions, and a 14-day deadline that costs the landlord the entire deposit if they miss it.
Illinois
In Illinois, a landlord who wants to keep anything for damage has 30 days to send an itemized statement with paid receipts. Without one, the whole deposit is due back within 45 days. Since 2024 these rules apply to landlords of every size.
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