Security deposit return deadlines by state
At a glance
- Shortest deadline here
- Arizona — 14 days, excluding weekends and holidays A.R.S. 33-1321(D)
- Longest deadline here
- Colorado — up to 60 days, but only if the lease says so C.R.S. 38-12-103(1)(a)
- Most common
- 30 days
- What starts the clock
- Varies by state, and this is where most mistakes happen — see the table
- States verified
- 5 of 50, each against the statute text
- Machine-readable
- data.json
5 of 50 states so far. Each row here was read from the governing statute and checked against a second independent rendering of it. The remaining states are in progress and will appear as they are confirmed — a table with five checked rows is worth more than one with fifty guessed ones, and the gap is easier to live with than a wrong deadline.
| State | Deadline | Clock starts | Missing it costs | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 14 days business days |
Termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession, and a demand from the tenant — all three. | Twice the amount wrongfully withheld. | A.R.S. § 33-1321(D), (E) |
| Colorado | 30 days, or up to 60 | The later of the lease terminating or the tenant surrendering the premises. | Forfeits the right to withhold any of the deposit; treble damages plus the tenant’s attorney fees and costs. | C.R.S. § 38-12-103(1)(a) |
| Florida | 15 days, or 30 to claim | Termination of the rental agreement, once the tenant has vacated. | Missing the 30-day notice forfeits the right to impose any claim on the deposit. | Fla. Stat. § 83.49(3) |
| Texas | 30 days | The date the tenant surrenders the premises — but the duty does not arise at all until the tenant gives a written forwarding address. | Bad-faith retention: three times the wrongfully withheld portion, plus $100 and the tenant’s attorney fees. | Tex. Prop. Code § 92.103(a), § 92.107 |
| Washington | 30 days | Termination of the rental agreement and vacation of the premises, or the landlord learning of an abandonment. | Liable for the full deposit and barred from defending the retention; up to twice the deposit for an intentional refusal. | RCW 59.18.280(1), (2) |
Download this table as JSON — same rows, same citations, machine-readable.
The deadline is the easy part#
Three of the five states above say “30 days”, and in all three the thirty days start on a different event. That is the column worth reading.
In Texas the clock runs from the date the tenant surrenders the premises — but the obligation does not arise at all until the tenant supplies a written forwarding address. A landlord who starts counting at move-out may be early; one who never receives an address is not yet late. Tex. Prop. Code 92.103(a), 92.107
In Colorado it runs from the later of two events, the lease terminating or the tenant surrendering, which are frequently not the same day. C.R.S. 38-12-103(1)(a)
In Arizona three conditions must all be met before the fourteen days begin: termination, delivery of possession, and a demand from the tenant. No demand, no clock. A.R.S. 33-1321(D)
Two states that count differently#
Arizona counts business days. Fourteen days excluding Saturdays, Sundays and other legal holidays is roughly three calendar weeks, and a landlord working from a calendar reminder set fourteen days out will be early rather than late — which is harmless, unlike the reverse. A.R.S. 33-1321(D)
Florida has two deadlines. If nothing is being withheld, the deposit goes back within 15 days of the lease terminating. If anything is being withheld, written notice of the claim must go by certified mail within 30 days; the tenant then has 15 days to object; and the balance follows within 30 days of that notice. Missing the 30-day notice forfeits the right to impose a claim at all — the landlord must return the deposit and sue separately for damages. Fla. Stat. 83.49(3)
What has to be in the envelope#
Sending the money is not the same as complying. Most of these states require an itemised statement, and two of them require more than that.
Washington requires copies of estimates received or invoices paid, to substantiate any damage charge. A list of figures without the backing documents does not satisfy the section, and the penalty for not satisfying it is the full deposit plus a bar on defending the retention at all. RCW 59.18.280(1)(b), (2)
Arizona requires an itemised list of all deductions together with the amount due, mailed first class to the tenant’s last known residence unless they have agreed otherwise in writing. A.R.S. 33-1321(D)
The penalties are not proportionate, and that is deliberate#
Across all five states the penalty for a late or deficient return is not a reduction of the amount withheld. It is forfeiture of the right to withhold anything, usually multiplied, usually with the tenant’s legal costs attached.
Colorado forfeits the whole deposit and trebles the wrongfully withheld portion. Washington makes the landlord liable for the full deposit and bars them from raising any defence for retaining it. Arizona awards twice the amount wrongfully withheld. Florida forfeits the right to claim. Texas adds $100 and attorney fees on top of three times the withheld sum where the retention was in bad faith.
The practical reading is that procedural compliance protects you and arithmetic errors mostly do not sink you, whereas being late sinks you regardless of how correct your deductions were.
How these rows were checked#
Each state was read from its legislature’s own published text where one is available, and confirmed against a second independent rendering. Where the two disagreed the row was left out rather than resolved by preference. Amendment history was checked for each section, because a rule that was correct three years ago is one of the commoner ways these tables go wrong: Colorado’s entry, for instance, reflects a rewrite that only took effect on 1 January 2026.
None of this is legal advice. It is the statute, cited and linked, so that you can check it or take it to someone who can advise you.
Primary sources
- Arizona — A.R.S. § 33-1321(D), (E) — Arizona State Legislature, official text
- Colorado — C.R.S. § 38-12-103(1)(a) — full section text; rewritten by HB25-1249 effective 1 January 2026
- Florida — Fla. Stat. § 83.49(3) — Florida Legislature, official text
- Texas — Tex. Prop. Code § 92.103(a), § 92.107 — Texas Legislature, official text
- Washington — RCW 59.18.280(1), (2) — Washington State Legislature, official text
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