Landlord & tenant · Texas
the short answer
First give your landlord a forwarding address in writing. The 30-day clock does not start until you do. After that, the landlord must return the deposit and list anything kept. A landlord who keeps it in bad faith owes three times the wrongful part, plus your attorney's fees.
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
governing statute
source ↗Checked against the statute on 2026-08-19
deadline
30 days
source ↗Checked against the statute on 2026-08-19
Across the country. 23 of the 47 states written up answer this the same way as Texas. The shortest is 14 days, as in Alaska; the longest is 60 days, as in Alabama. Compare every state →
penalty
Bad faith retention: three times the portion wrongfully withheld, plus attorney's fees (§ 92.109). The landlord need not refund until you give a written forwarding address (§ 92.107).
source ↗Checked against the statute on 2026-08-19
which court
Justice Court
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
small claims limit
$20,000
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
exceptions: The claim has to be for less than this, not up to it, excluding statutory interest and court costs.
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
your situation
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