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Security deposit refund calculator.What you can actually recover.
Days late vs your state's statutory window. Statutory damages exposure. Interest owed where required. The right next step given how late your landlord already is. 50 states and DC.
Your deposit
Timeline
What came back
Building and tenancy
Maximum recovery exposure
$5,400
Withheld $1,800 + statutory damages $3,600
Days late
+24
Past the statutory window
Deposit paid
$1,800.00
Returned so far
$0.00
Wrongfully withheld
$1,800.00
Atty fees
Recoverable
In plain English
California requires landlords to return security deposits within 21 days of move-out, per Cal. Civ. Code §1950.5. The window is 24 days past due. If the landlord wrongfully withheld $1,800, the maximum statutory damages on top are $3,600 (2× the deposit). Attorney's fees are recoverable under Cal. Civ. Code §1950.5, which makes small-claims and demand letters cheaper to file even when the dollar amount is modest.
Estimate. Actual recovery depends on the court's bad-faith finding, the itemization the landlord provided, and your evidence of unit condition at move-out. Replace with your real numbers; the math updates immediately. Deposit: $1,800.
Recommended next step
File in small claims court
The window is well past expired and a demand letter has either gone unanswered or produced a lowball. Small claims filing fees are $30-$75 in most states and the procedure is designed for tenants to represent themselves. Default judgments are common when the landlord does not appear. Bring the certified-mail receipt for your demand letter, your move-in/move-out photos, and the itemized statement the landlord did or did not provide.
Statute data current as of May 2026. 50 states and DC. Confirm your row before sending a demand letter.
Why this one
Every other calculator shows the deadline.This one shows the recovery.
Statutory damages, not just the deadline
Every other calculator on page one tells you the return window for your state. None compute the recovery: the 2x, 3x, or 1.5x multiplier on the wrongfully withheld portion, the basis (deposit vs withheld), the fixed extras (TX $100, NV $1,000), and the attorney's fees that often make filing worthwhile.
Days late, not just days remaining
If your landlord is already past the window, the calculator surfaces that as days late, not a polite countdown. Bad-faith multipliers attach once the window expires. The longer the landlord sits past it, the stronger the bad-faith case in small claims.
Recommended next step, by how late
Inside the window: forwarding-address letter. Just expired: demand letter, certified mail. Two months expired: small claims plus AG complaint, same week. The calculator picks the right move based on the days-late number and the dollar exposure, not generic 'know your rights' advice.
How it works
The math behind the recovery.
Days late = days since move-out − statutory window. The statutory window is set by your state (14 to 60 days, 30 most common). Once the window passes without a full refund or itemized statement, the bad-faith multiplier becomes available.
Wrongfully withheld = deposit − amount returned − deductions you concede. If the landlord claims $400 for carpet cleaning but cleaning is your state's ordinary turn-over cost rather than tenant damage, that $400 is wrongfully withheld. Leave the concession field at $0 to compute maximum exposure.
Statutory damages = the state's multiplier times its basis. In withheld-basis states (Texas, Colorado, Georgia, South Carolina, and most others), the multiplier applies to the wrongfully withheld portion. In deposit-basis states (California, Massachusetts, Maryland, Washington D.C., New York), the multiplier applies to the full deposit. Fixed add-ons (TX $100, NV $1,000, LA up to $500) layer on top.
Interest owed applies in 14 states: CT, IL (25+ unit buildings), IA (after 5 years), MD, MA, MN, NH, NJ, NM, NY (6+ unit buildings), ND, OH, PA (after year 2), VA. The state-mandated rate is usually 1% to 5% per year. The calculator surfaces an estimate at 4% per year against the deposit, prorated for your tenancy length.
Maximum recovery exposure = wrongfully withheld + statutory damages + interest. This is the headline number on the calculator. Actual recovery depends on the court's finding of bad faith and your evidence of unit condition at move-out, but this is the ceiling you can demand in a small-claims filing.
Recommended next step keys off the days-late number. Inside the window: send the forwarding address by certified mail. Just past the window: demand letter, certified mail, return receipt. Two-plus months past: small claims filing plus state AG complaint in the same week. The action ladder skips no rungs; the calculator picks the right one for your situation.
What this calculator can't see is your lease and the itemization the landlord did or did not provide. The deposit-deduction language in the lease can waive certain protections, legitimately or not. The itemized statement (or its absence) is the strongest evidence of bad faith. Once the math is clear, scan the lease and the itemization to confirm what the landlord is allowed to keep in the first place.
Questions
Security deposit refund FAQ.
How long does a landlord have to return my security deposit?+
It depends on your state, ranging from 14 days (Arizona, Hawaii, Nebraska, New York, Vermont) to 60 days (Arkansas, Tennessee, West Virginia). The most common deadline is 30 days, used by about half of states. California is 21 days, Massachusetts is 30 days, Texas is 30 days, Florida is 15 or 30 depending on whether the landlord makes a claim. The clock typically starts at move-out, but in some states it starts only when the landlord receives your forwarding address in writing. Send the forwarding address by certified mail the day you move out to avoid that delay.
Can I sue for double or triple my security deposit?+
Yes, in roughly half of states. The multiplier and the basis vary. Massachusetts mandates 3x the deposit plus attorney's fees. Washington D.C., Maryland, and the District of Columbia allow up to 3x the deposit for bad-faith retention. California provides up to 2x the deposit as statutory damages on top of returning the wrongfully withheld amount, which effectively means 3x total. Texas is 3x the wrongfully withheld portion plus $100 plus attorney fees. The remaining 2x states (NJ, NH, NY, OH, WI, etc.) double the withheld portion. The exposure depends on the court's finding of bad faith.
Do I need to send a demand letter before suing in small claims?+
Yes in most states, and it is usually the first move regardless. A written demand letter, sent certified mail with return receipt, cites the statute, the deposit amount, the date you moved out, the days past the statutory window, and the dollar amount you are demanding back. Most landlords settle at this stage. Filing fees for small claims are $30 to $75 in most jurisdictions, and the court will often ask whether you sent a demand letter first. Skipping the demand letter does not bar the lawsuit but it weakens the bad-faith argument and reduces statutory damages exposure.
Do landlords have to pay interest on my security deposit?+
In 14 states they do: Connecticut, Illinois (buildings with 25+ units), Iowa (after 5 years), Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York (buildings with 6+ units), North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania (after year 2 of tenancy), and Virginia. The rate is set by statute and is usually 1% to 5% per year, depending on the state. Massachusetts pays 5%. Illinois pays a posted rate that updates annually. The estimated interest in this calculator uses 4% as a working median; check your state's specific rule before claiming a number in a demand letter.
What is the difference between normal wear and tear and damage?+
Normal wear and tear is the natural deterioration that happens from ordinary use over time, and the landlord cannot deduct it from your deposit. Damage is something the tenant caused that goes beyond ordinary use. Faded paint after three years is wear and tear; a hole punched through drywall is damage. Worn carpet traffic patterns in heavy-use areas are wear and tear; a pet stain that required full replacement is damage. The standard varies slightly by state, but the principle is universal: time-based deterioration is the landlord's cost of doing business; tenant-caused harm is recoverable.
What if my landlord deducted for cleaning, painting, or carpet cleaning?+
Routine cleaning, repainting between tenants, and standard carpet cleaning are generally the landlord's responsibility, not the tenant's. Most states treat these as ordinary turn-over costs that the landlord absorbs as part of operating the unit. California Civil Code section 1950.5(e) is explicit that the deposit cannot be used for ordinary wear and tear. Texas Property Code section 92.104 is similar. The exception is when damage requires more than standard cleaning or repair, in which case the incremental cost above ordinary turn-over can be deducted, but it must be itemized with receipts.
Can I still recover if I did not give a forwarding address?+
Usually yes, but the statutory clock may not have started running. About half of state security deposit statutes condition the return window on the landlord receiving the tenant's forwarding address in writing. If you moved out and never sent a forwarding address, the landlord can argue the clock has not started. Send the address now by certified mail with return receipt. The statutory window begins from the date of receipt, not the move-out date. After the window expires, the bad-faith multiplier and recovery options described above apply.