Security deposit laws by state

Security deposit law is state law, and the spread is wider than most landlords expect: the same move-out that is fully compliant in Texas can be a treble-damages mistake in Maryland. Three numbers decide most of it, and they are all in the table below: how much you can collect, how many days you have to return it, and what it costs to get either one wrong.

Every row links to a plain-English page on that state's rules, with the statute cited and the cap, return clock, itemization, holding, and penalty fields shown before any general guidance. Each state's numbers were verified against the statute text and official state sources in July 2026. The practices that do not change at the state line, wear and tear versus damage, itemization discipline, the paper trail, live in the guide to security deposits for landlords.

The table: cap, deadline, and penalty in every state

How to read the table

The cap column shows the general rule for an ordinary unfurnished long-term rental. Several states move the ceiling for furnished units, pets, or short leases, and a few apply it only to larger landlords; the state pages carry those variations. Where the column says no statutory limit, the legislature is silent and the market sets the number.

The deadline column is the general clock, and the fine print matters more here than anywhere: some states start counting at move-out, others at lease termination or when they receive a forwarding address, a few count business days rather than calendar days, and several run a shorter deadline when nothing is deducted. The penalty column shows the headline exposure; whether it triggers automatically or only on bad faith differs by state.

One more layer: cities. Chicago, Seattle, Portland, and a number of other cities regulate deposits more tightly than their states do, so the state page is the floor, not always the whole rule.

The rules that travel

Set the move-in baseline

Write the deposit amount into the lease and photograph the unit before keys change hands. A later damage claim starts with evidence that the condition was different at move-in.

Run the deadline from the triggering event

Put the controlling date on the calendar as soon as notice arrives. Schedule the move-out inspection against that date, then send the statement and payment by a method that records when they left. State pages identify the event and clock from their own records.

Build an itemization someone else can audit

Put a description and dollar amount on every line, then keep the receipt, invoice, photograph, or other record behind it. The hard judgment is whether a line is chargeable damage or normal wear. The wear and tear versus damage guide handles that question, and the deposit return letter template provides the mailing format.

Keep custody separate from the return decision

The holding rule and the deduction rule answer different questions. Each state page reports its account or interest requirement from the state record. The guide to deposit escrow and commingling rules covers the shared account workflow.

Whatever your state, the losing pattern in deposit disputes is the same: no move-in baseline, charges at replacement price instead of prorated to remaining useful life, and a vague one-line statement. The wear and tear versus damage guide sorts the judgment calls item by item, the carpet and paint useful-life math shows the proration that keeps a charge defensible, and the deposit return letter template puts the itemized statement in a format you can mail the same day you finish the inspection.