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Itemize deductions and write the letter
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Security Deposit Itemization and Return
Date:
To:
Forwarding address:
Rental address: Move-out date:
| Security deposit held | |
| Deductions | None |
| Amount returned to you |
Questions about this statement: .
Landlord
Sent on: How:
Security deposit return deadlines by state
Each state's clock starts at a different event, which the builder accounts for. Example: a California tenant who moves out November 30, 2026 must get the statement by December 21, 2026; with $180 of cleaning and $95 of repairs from a $2,000 deposit, $1,725.00 goes back, and because those deductions total more than $125, receipts and photos go with it. In Arizona, if that tenant asks for the deposit on December 2, the deadline is December 22, 2026 (14 weekdays, before skipping any legal holiday).
| State | Deadline | Clock starts | What to send | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 14 days, not counting weekends or legal holidays | After the tenancy ends, possession is returned and the tenant asks for the deposit | Itemized list of deductions; by first class mail unless agreed otherwise in writing | A.R.S. § 33-1321 |
| California | 21 days | After the tenant vacates | Itemized statement; receipts or invoices and photos if repair and cleaning deductions exceed $125 | Civ. Code § 1950.5(g)-(h) |
| Florida | 15 days with no claim; 30 days to send a claim notice | After the agreement ends | Claim notice in the statute's wording, by certified mail (e-mail under § 83.505 only with a signed e-mail notice addendum) | Fla. Stat. § 83.49(3)(a) |
| Michigan | 30 days | After occupancy ends | Notice of damages by mail with estimated repair cost per item and the 7-day bold statement | MCL 554.609-.610 |
| New Jersey | 30 days | After the lease ends | Deposit plus interest, deductions itemized; personal delivery, registered or certified mail | N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.1 |
| New York | 14 days | After the tenant vacates | Itemized statement | Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(e) |
| North Carolina | 30 days (if the claim can't be settled by then, an interim accounting at 30 and a final one within 60) | After the tenancy ends and possession is returned | Itemized list of damage; no deductions for normal wear and tear | Gen. Stat. § 42-52 |
| Ohio | 30 days | After the agreement ends and possession is returned | Written notice itemizing deductions; tenant gives a forwarding address in writing | Rev. Code § 5321.16(B) |
| Pennsylvania | 30 days | After the lease ends or the unit is surrendered and accepted, whichever is first | Written list of damages with payment of the difference | 68 P.S. § 250.512 |
| Texas | 30 days | After the tenant surrenders the premises | Written description and itemized list of deductions; no deductions for normal wear and tear | Prop. Code §§ 92.103-92.104 |
| Virginia | 45 days | After the tenancy ends or the tenant vacates, whichever is later | Written notice itemizing deductions, less reasonable wear and tear | Va. Code § 55.1-1226 |
| Washington | 30 days | After the agreement ends and the tenant vacates | Full and specific statement with copies of estimates or invoices | RCW 59.18.280(1) |
From each state's official statute text, read October 29, 2026. Cities can add rules. Not legal advice.
If you miss the deadline
- New York: the landlord forfeits any right to keep any part of the deposit (§ 7-108(1-a)(e)).
- Pennsylvania: forfeits the right to withhold any of it or to sue for damage to the premises (68 P.S. § 250.512).
- Florida: a late claim notice forfeits the right to claim against the deposit (§ 83.49(3)(a)).
- Michigan: counts as agreeing no damages are due; the full deposit must be returned immediately (MCL 554.610).
- New Jersey: a court finding for the tenant awards double the amount (N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.1).
What a security deposit return letter should include
- The tenant's name, forwarding address, the rental address and the move-out date.
- The deposit held, plus any interest your state or lease requires.
- Each deduction on its own line with the amount, and the total.
- The amount returned and how it is sent, or the balance the tenant owes.
- Any documents your state requires, such as receipts, invoices or estimates.
- The date sent and the delivery method; keep proof.
Security deposit deduction letter: logging what you keep
Normal wear and tear
North Carolina, Texas and Virginia statutes bar deductions for normal (or reasonable) wear and tear (N.C. § 42-52, Tex. § 92.104, Va. § 55.1-1226). Compare the unit with the move-in checklist and charge only for damage beyond it.
Paperwork that goes with the letter
California: copies of bills, invoices or receipts (or your own time and hourly rate) plus photos when repair and cleaning deductions exceed $125, unless the tenant waived them (Civ. Code § 1950.5(h)). Washington: copies of estimates received or invoices paid (RCW 59.18.280(1)(b)).
California also requires photos of the unit for tenancies that begin on or after July 1, 2025 at move-in, and, since April 1, 2025, after the tenant leaves (before repairs) and again after repairs (§ 1950.5(g)). Before move-out, California and New York landlords must tell the tenant in writing of the right to request an inspection; in New York it takes place no earlier than two weeks and no later than one week before the tenancy ends (Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(d)).
State rules that change the letter
Michigan: the notice of damages must say, in 12-point bold type at least 4 points larger than the rest: "You must respond to this notice by mail within 7 days after receipt of the notice of damages, otherwise you will forfeit the amount claimed for damages." The builder prints it. The section was amended by 2026 PA 102, with immediate effect September 21, 2026, to allow depositing the balance electronically within 10 days after mailing the notice (MCL 554.609). The tenant must give a forwarding address in writing within 4 days after moving out (MCL 554.611).
Florida: with no claim, return the deposit within 15 days. To keep any part, send notice within 30 days by certified mail (or by e-mail under § 83.505 only if you both "signed an addendum to the rental agreement" for e-mail notices), in the statute's wording, which the builder uses; the tenant then has 15 days to object in writing (Fla. Stat. § 83.49(3)(a)).
Arizona: the 14 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, run only after the tenancy ends, possession is returned and the tenant asks for the deposit (A.R.S. § 33-1321). New Jersey: return by personal delivery, registered or certified mail.
Ending a tenancy first? See the lease termination letter and notice to vacate. Track what the tenant owed in the rent ledger.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit?
It depends on the state: 14 days in New York, 21 in California, 30 in Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington, 45 in Virginia. Florida allows 15 days with no claim or 30 to send a claim notice, and Arizona 14 business days after the tenant asks.
What should a security deposit return letter include?
The deposit held, any interest, each deduction with its amount, the amount returned or owed, how it was sent, and any documents your state requires, such as California's receipts and photos or Washington's estimates and invoices.
What happens if a landlord misses the deadline?
In New York the landlord forfeits any right to keep any part of the deposit; in Pennsylvania the right to withhold or sue for damage; in Florida the right to claim against it; in Michigan the full deposit must be returned. New Jersey courts award double the amount.
Can a landlord deduct for normal wear and tear?
Not in North Carolina, Texas or Virginia, whose statutes say so expressly. Deductions are for damage beyond normal use, unpaid rent and charges the lease allows.