California Security Deposit Deadline Calculator (2026)

A California landlord must furnish an itemized statement of the security deposit no later than 21 calendar days after the tenant has vacated the premises. Enter the move-out date to see the date. The rule is Cal. Civ. Code s. 1950.5(h)(1).

What starts the clock

Section 1950.5(h)(1) counts from the day the tenant has vacated the premises, but not earlier than the time either side gives notice to terminate the tenancy, or 60 calendar days before a fixed-term lease expires. Use the move-out date you can document (keys returned, a walk-through).

Worked examples (2026 dates)

What the calculator does not know

• Calendar days: weekends and holidays count, and the statute text does not move a weekend deadline to Monday.
• If a repair cannot reasonably be completed within the 21 calendar days, or a contractor's documents have not arrived, the landlord may deduct a good-faith estimate and send it with the itemized statement (s. 1950.5(h)(3)); the statute then sets 14 calendar days from completing the repair or receiving the documents for the paperwork.
• Beginning April 1, 2025, the landlord must photograph the unit after possession is returned and before any repair or cleaning that will be deducted, and again after the work is done (s. 1950.5(g)(2)).
• Bad faith retention can mean statutory damages of up to twice the amount of the security, in addition to actual damages (s. 1950.5).

Read the rule itself: Cal. Civ. Code s. 1950.5(h)(1). The free article explains the California deposit deadline in full, and the California Small Landlord Compliance Guide puts every deadline and notice in one place, each cited to the statute.

Other states

Informational only, not legal advice. Dates are computed from the day counts in the statute text as described above, checked against the 2026 text; a court may count differently. For a dispute or anything expensive to get wrong, talk to a California landlord-tenant attorney.