A best-effort, state-by-state reference for all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. — the maximum security deposit a landlord may charge and the deadline to return it after move-out. Filter to your state below, or open any state's name for its full state guide.
| State | Max security deposit | Return deadline | Statute |
|---|
This reference was compiled in June 2026 directly from primary legal authority. Every row in the table above links to the official state statute or government source — the state legislature's published code, the state attorney general or housing agency, or, for the handful of states that publish their code only through a paid provider, the official enacting legislation or government summary. The citation in each row's Statute column is the live link; click it to read the controlling law yourself.
Where a state's official site serves its code through a JavaScript viewer, a PDF, or an access wall that could not be machine-confirmed, the link still points to the official government source and the substance was cross-checked against multiple secondary references before publication. Many states use tiers, exceptions, or sliding scales that a single number can't fully capture, so the per-row notes flag the most common carve-outs (pets, furnished units, lease length, small-landlord exemptions, tenant age).
Notes: "month(s)" means months of rent. Ranges and tiered deadlines depend on whether deductions are made, lease type, or whether the tenant gave notice or a forwarding address — read the linked statute for which tier applies to you. "No statutory limit" means the state sets no cap on the deposit amount (local rent-control ordinances may still apply). This is a best-effort summary, not legal advice.
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