States Ranked by Tenant Protection

Which states have the strongest security deposit laws? We ranked all 50 states based on return deadlines, penalties for landlords, and renter-friendly policies.

14 days

Shortest deadline

60 days

Longest deadline

Highest penalty

30 days

Most common

Top 5 Best for Tenants

Hawaii14 days

Arizona14 days

New York14 days

California21 days

Colorado30 days

Bottom 5 Worst for Tenants

West Virginia60 days

Kentucky60 days

Mississippi45 days

Georgia30 days

Wyoming30 days

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Complete Rankings

Rank	State	Deadline	Protection	Penalty
#1	Hawaii	14 days	Excellent	May be liable for treble damages plus attorney's fees and court costs
#2	Arizona	14 days	Excellent	May forfeit right to retain deposit; may be liable for up to twice deposit amount
#3	New York	14 days	Excellent	May forfeit right to retain any portion of deposit; willful violations may result in punitive damages up to twice the deposit
#4	California	21 days	Excellent	Bad faith: may owe up to twice the amount wrongfully withheld, plus actual damages
#5	Colorado	30 days	Excellent	May forfeit right to retain; may be liable for treble damages plus costs
#6	Connecticut	21 days	Excellent	May be liable for up to twice the deposit amount plus costs
#7	Delaware	20 days	Excellent	May forfeit right to retain; may be liable for double deposit
#8	Massachusetts	30 days	Excellent	Liable for treble damages plus interest, court costs, and attorneys fees
#9	North Dakota	30 days	Excellent	May be liable for treble damages
#10	Texas	30 days	Excellent	Bad faith: $100 plus three times the portion wrongfully withheld, plus reasonable attorney's fees
#11	Wisconsin	21 days	Excellent	May forfeit right to withhold; liable for double deposit amount
#12	Alaska	30 days	Good	May be liable for up to twice the amount wrongfully withheld
#13	Iowa	30 days	Good	May forfeit right to retain; liable for up to twice deposit amount
#14	Maine	30 days	Good	May forfeit right to retain; may be liable for double deposit
#15	Maryland	45 days	Good	May forfeit right to withhold; liable for up to three times withheld amount
#16	Michigan	30 days	Good	May be liable for up to twice the deposit amount plus attorneys fees
#17	Missouri	30 days	Good	May forfeit right to withhold; liable for twice deposit amount
#18	New Jersey	30 days	Good	May forfeit right to retain deposit; may owe double deposit
#19	Pennsylvania	30 days	Good	Forfeit right to retain any deposit; liable for double the deposit amount
#20	Washington	30 days	Good	May be liable for up to twice the deposit amount plus court costs
#21	District of Columbia	45 days	Good	May forfeit right to retain deposit; liable for treble damages
#22	Minnesota	21 days	Good	May be liable for deposit plus interest and punitive damages up to $500
#23	Oklahoma	45 days	Good	May forfeit right to retain; liable for twice deposit amount
#24	Oregon	31 days	Good	May be liable for twice the deposit amount wrongfully withheld
#25	Rhode Island	20 days	Good	May forfeit right to retain; liable for damages
#26	Nebraska	14 days	Good	May forfeit right to retain deposit
#27	South Dakota	14 days	Good	May forfeit right to retain deposit
#28	Vermont	14 days	Good	May forfeit right to retain deposit
#29	Alabama	60 days	Fair	May be liable for double the amount of the original deposit
#30	Arkansas	60 days	Fair	May be liable for up to twice the deposit amount
#31	Florida	30 days	Fair	May forfeit right to impose claim on deposit; may be liable for damages
#32	Idaho	21 days	Fair	May forfeit right to retain deposit
#33	Kansas	30 days	Fair	May forfeit right to retain; liable for damages
#34	New Hampshire	30 days	Fair	May forfeit right to retain; liable for damages
#35	North Carolina	30 days	Fair	May forfeit right to retain deposit; may be liable for damages
#36	Ohio	30 days	Fair	May forfeit right to withhold any deposit; liable for damages
#37	South Carolina	30 days	Fair	May forfeit right to retain; liable for actual damages
#38	Tennessee	30 days	Fair	May forfeit right to retain deposit; may be liable for damages
#39	Illinois	45 days	Fair	May be liable for deposit amount plus damages and court costs
#40	Indiana	45 days	Fair	May be liable for deposit plus damages
#41	Louisiana	30 days	Fair	May forfeit right to retain deposit
#42	Montana	30 days	Fair	May forfeit right to retain deposit
#43	Nevada	30 days	Fair	May forfeit right to retain deposit
#44	New Mexico	30 days	Fair	May forfeit right to retain deposit
#45	Utah	30 days	Fair	May forfeit right to retain deposit
#46	Virginia	45 days	Fair	May be liable for actual damages plus reasonable attorneys fees
#47	Wyoming	30 days	Fair	May forfeit right to retain deposit
#48	Georgia	30 days	Poor	May be liable for deposit plus penalty up to $500 plus court costs
#49	Mississippi	45 days	Poor	May forfeit right to retain deposit
#50	Kentucky	60 days	Poor	May forfeit right to retain deposit
#51	West Virginia	60 days	Poor	May forfeit right to retain deposit

How We Ranked

Our ranking considers two primary factors that directly impact tenants:

Return deadline: How quickly must the landlord return your deposit? Shorter is better.
Penalty strength: What happens if the landlord misses the deadline? States with treble (3x) damages or mandatory attorney fee awards rank higher.

States with both short deadlines AND strong penalties provide the best tenant protection. States with long deadlines and weak penalties leave tenants vulnerable.

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