My landlord is not returning my security deposit
Page last updated: September 2, 2026 · How we source & update
First confirm the clock has actually started: in many states the landlord’s deadline runs from move-out and from your giving a written forwarding address — if you never sent one, send it now, in writing, and keep proof. Then send a short written demand naming the amount and the deadline your state sets. If it passes, most states let you sue in small claims, and many add a penalty for bad-faith retention. This page is about a deposit that is overdue or not returned at all. If the landlord returned part and you dispute the deductions, see deposit kept without proof instead.
First step, today: Send your forwarding address in writing today and keep proof of sending it. In several states nothing is owed until you do, and it is the one step that costs nothing and unlocks everything else.
Where this comes from: This is general national framing. The deadlines, dollar limits and remedies that decide your case are set by your state, city, lease and housing type — your state page carries the sourced rule with its official citation and its review status. This wording has not been attorney-reviewed.
Scope: United States, all states. This page is legal information, not legal advice, and it has not been reviewed by a licensed attorney. Specific deadlines, dollar limits and remedies are set by your state, city, lease and housing type — this page deliberately gives none; your state page does.
The path, in order
Each step is cheap, and each one strengthens the next.
- Send a written forwarding address if you have not, and keep proof of delivery. In several states nothing is due until you do.
- Find your state’s deadline and trigger on your state page — whether it runs from move-out, surrender, or the forwarding address, and whether it changes when the landlord asserts a claim.
- Send a written demand stating the amount, the move-out date, that no itemized statement was received, and a date by which you expect payment. Use the deposit demand letter.
- If the deadline passes, file in small claims. Bring the lease, move-in and move-out photos, the forwarding-address proof, and the demand letter. See suing in small claims.
- Ask about penalties. Many states allow extra damages when a landlord withholds in bad faith or misses the deadline; legal aid or the court self-help desk can tell you what applies.
Not returned vs. deductions you dispute
- Not returned / overdue: nothing or no statement arrived by the deadline. This page.
- Returned with deductions you dispute: you got an itemized statement and disagree with what was charged. Different evidence, different argument — see deposit kept without proof of damages.
- Returned with extra charges on top: see deposit plus extra charges.
What to gather before you act
- Lease showing the deposit amount.
- Move-in and move-out photos, dated.
- Written forwarding address and proof it was sent.
- Your demand letter and proof of delivery.
- Any partial payment or statement received.
When this is urgent
Why your state decides the details
The deadline, what starts it, whether a forwarding address is required, the itemization duty and the penalty for bad faith are all state rules — and several depend on whether the landlord claims against the deposit. Your state page carries the sourced rule; the site-wide deposit dataset is held for legal review and is not a substitute.
Free help
Call 211 for local referrals, find free legal aid at lawhelp.org, or read how free legal help for renters works.
Change log
September 2, 2026 — page created (RS-WEB-ORGANIC-ENDGAME-005). Held for legal review before search promotion; not attorney-reviewed.
See where you are in the process
Security deposit: the evidence timeline — a stage map with no deadlines, showing what each stage means and what to do at it. All five decision guides.
Accuracy, and the limits of this page. Renter Shield provides legal information, not legal advice. It is not a law firm, no attorney-client relationship is created by using it, and this page has not been reviewed by a licensed attorney.
This page deliberately contains no deadlines, no dollar limits and no state-specific rules, because those vary by state, city, housing type, lease and timing, and a national page cannot state them correctly for everyone. Where a number matters, the page routes you to your state page, which carries the rule we have sourced along with its official citation and its review status.
Laws change, sources move, and errors are possible. Renter Shield makes no warranty that the information here is accurate, complete or current, and disclaims liability for actions taken in reliance on it to the fullest extent permitted by law. Confirm anything that matters with a licensed attorney or a free legal-aid provider before you act. Free help: 211 · lawhelp.org · how free legal help works.
Found something wrong? Tell us — we log every correction with the date it was resolved. Published under owner risk acceptance dated 2026-09-03; see our review policy.