Affordable Legal Advice for Security Deposit & Landlord Disputes

Understanding the Timeframe Your Landlord Has to Return a Security Deposit

Whether your landlord is claiming deductions from your original security deposit or not, at the end of the lease term, they have to return any remaining funds within the time period indicated by state law. 

If your landlord fails to return any remaining security deposit funds within the legal mandated time period, you may be able to sue the landlord and keep all of the deposit funds. 

As with everything else on this page, you’ll need to check the laws in your state or contact a local lawyer to get sound legal advice.

The Maximum Security Deposit a Landlord Can Require

You may be wondering how much of a security deposit the law allows your landlord to require in the first place. The answer depends upon the state in which the rental unit is located. Here are a few examples:

• Some states limit security deposits to an amount equal to one month’s rent.
• California limits deposits to two months’ rent unless the rental is furnished, in which case the deposit can be up to 3 months.
• Some states have no limit on the amount of a security deposit a landlord can request.
• Cities and counties might have different security deposit laws you need to check, especially if the unit is rent-controlled.

If you’re about to sign a lease and have concerns about the security deposit required or questions about any other aspect of the agreement, it’s a good idea to get legal advice. When you join LegalShield, you can be on the phone with an experienced lawyer within four hours after your membership is approved. Your membership gets you unlimited legal advice by phone, the ability to submit your lease, help from a lawyer to negotiate your lease terms, and more.