Check a Bill →
← Rental Issues
Rental charge guide

Security Deposit Not Returned After Move-Out

What to check when your landlord has not returned your security deposit or sent an accounting after move-out.

Specific renter question

Start with the facts behind the charge

Start with the exact move-out timeline. Deposit deadlines vary sharply by state, and the trigger may depend on move-out, surrender of possession, lease termination, a forwarding address or another statutory event.

Free state-aware deadline tool

Choose one of our 12 verified states and calculate the ordinary deposit timeline with the state-specific caveats shown next to the result.

Open Security Deposit Deadline Calculator →

Documents worth gathering

  • Lease termination date
  • Date keys/possession were returned
  • Forwarding address notice
  • Deposit accounting, if any
  • Envelope/email timestamps and payment records

Questions to work through

  1. Which state deadline applies?
  2. What event started the clock?
  3. Was an interim accounting permitted or required?
  4. Did the landlord send the statement to the correct address?
  5. What remedy does the state provide if the deadline was missed?

Do not use a universal 30-day rule

Our verified states alone include 14-day, 21-day, 30-day and 45-day frameworks, plus multi-stage rules such as Florida’s 15/30-day structure and North Carolina’s 30/60-day unresolved-claim process.

Use a verified deadline page where available

RentBillCheck keeps each state’s trigger language and exceptions with the calculator instead of applying one generic date to all U.S. rentals.

Verified state guides

The rule can change by state. These RentBillCheck pages have already been checked against primary or official sources.

California — 21-day rule
Calendar-day accounting framework.Texas — 30-day rule
Written forwarding address matters.Florida — 15/30-day rule
Different clocks depending on whether a claim is intended.New York — 14-day rule
Scope differs for rent-regulated housing.Arizona — 14 qualifying days
Weekends and legal holidays excluded.Colorado — 30/60 days
Lease may extend default 30 days up to 60.Georgia — 30-day rule
Termination/surrender timeline matters.North Carolina — 30/60 days
Interim accounting required for unresolved claim.Washington — 30-day rule
Statement plus supporting documentation and refund.Virginia — 45-day rule
Narrow contractor exception can add 15 days.
Educational information only. This guide does not decide whether a particular charge is legal or valid. State law, local rules, lease language, the identity of the collector or creditor, and the evidence can change the answer.