Landlord & tenant · California
the short answer
Your landlord has 21 days from the day you move out to return your deposit. If that date passes and the money has not come, you can sue for it. Where the landlord kept it in bad faith, a court can add up to twice the deposit on top of your real losses.
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
governing statute
source ↗Checked against the statute on 2026-08-19
deadline
21 days
source ↗Checked against the statute on 2026-08-19
Across the country. 7 of the 47 states written up answer this the same way as California. The shortest is 14 days, as in Alaska; the longest is 60 days, as in Alabama. Compare every state →
penalty
Bad faith retention: statutory damages of up to twice the deposit, on top of actual damages (§ 1950.5(m)).
source ↗Checked against the statute on 2026-08-19
small claims limit
$12,500
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
exceptions: $6,250 if you are suing as a business rather than as a person.
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
your situation
Everything above is the law as it reaches everyone in California. What it means for you turns on facts only you have. Tell us what happened and we'll ask the same questions a lawyer would — about 90 seconds, free, and anonymous.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Written by an AI model, which can be wrong. Not a lawyer, and not a prediction about your case. Terms · Privacy
a landlord keeping my deposit — state by state →other claims in this state →
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