The count starts at move-out, whether you are ready or not
Every state gives a landlord a set number of days to send back the deposit, or what is left of it with a written list of what was kept and why. The shortest is 14 days. The longest is 60. Thirty is the most common.
Missing the day is expensive. In several states it costs you the right to keep any of the deposit, even for real damage. In some it costs more than the deposit itself.
- Most states count from the day the tenancy ends and the keys come back
- A few wait for the resident's forwarding address in writing
- Arizona counts business days, so weekends drop out
- Colorado, Idaho and Maine let a written lease state a longer time
In a house rented by the room, every resident has their own clock
When each resident signs their own lease for their own room, each deposit is its own. The day one person leaves, that person's deadline starts, even though four other people still live in the house. It does not wait for the house to empty or for the others' leases to end.
Walk the room the day they leave and take photos of the room and the shared spaces. A stain in a bedroom belongs to the person who lived in it. A broken cabinet in a shared kitchen is hard to put on one person, so keep only what your lease and your photos support.
What to send, and how to prove you sent it
Most states want more than the money. They want a written list of each amount kept and the reason, and some want receipts or estimates with it. Ask for a forwarding address in writing before move-out day, and send everything there.
If the last day lands on a Saturday or Sunday, put it in the mail the Friday before. Keep proof of the day it went out.
A worked example
A resident's last day in the room is Saturday 10/31/2026. Move-out day is day zero, so the first day counted is 11/01/2026. The same move-out gives a different last day in each state.
- Arizona: 14 business days, weekends skipped
- 11/19/2026
- New York: 14 days, which lands on a Saturday
- 11/14/2026
- New York: in the mail by the Friday before
- 11/13/2026
- Alabama: 60 days
- 12/30/2026
Every figure here was read against the state's own law on 09/12/2026. Laws change, and some cities add rules of their own, so open the link beside your state and check before you rely on a date.
Common questions
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit?
It depends on the state. New York, Hawaii, Nebraska and Vermont give 14 days. Alabama, Arkansas and West Virginia give 60. Most states give 30. Pick your state above for its number, what starts the count, and a link to the law it comes from.
Do weekends count toward the deadline?
In almost every state, yes. The law counts calendar days. Arizona counts business days, so Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays are skipped. This calculator skips Arizona's weekends but does not know its holidays, so check those yourself.
When one roommate moves out of a shared house, when is their deposit due?
If that resident signed their own lease for their own room, their deposit is due by their own state deadline, counted from their own move-out. It does not wait for the rest of the house. If everybody signed one lease together, the deposit belongs to that lease, so read what it says.
What if the resident never gave a forwarding address?
Ask for one in writing before move-out day. In states such as Texas and Indiana, the deposit is not owed until the resident gives one. In Georgia, mailing to the last known address counts. The note beside your state says which rule applies.
These calculators are educational and are not legal, tax, lending, or accounting advice. Rules vary by state and by city, and your lease governs your own properties. Check your own requirements before relying on any number here.