How Do You Get Your Security Deposit Back at the End of a Travel Contract?
Document the unit's condition the day you move in, leave a written forwarding address the day you move out, and know the deadline your assignment state gives the landlord to return the deposit or explain what it kept. State law, not the listing site, sets those deadlines, and in Texas and California, for example, the law bars deductions for normal wear and tear.
What should you do on move-in day to protect your deposit?
Make a record nobody can argue with. Walk the unit before you unpack, and photograph or video every room, appliance and piece of furniture, with close-ups of anything already worn, stained or broken. Email the files to the landlord the same day, so the record carries a date. If you booked through a platform rather than signing a lease, read its damage and refund policy too, because the laws quoted below speak of leases and rental agreements.
Some states put part of this on the landlord. Washington’s deposit statute says no deposit may be collected unless the rental agreement is in writing and the landlord provides “a written checklist or statement” at the start “specifically describing the condition and cleanliness of or existing damages to the premises, fixtures, equipment, appliances, and furnishings.” California’s Civil Code says that for tenancies beginning on or after July 1, 2025, “the landlord shall take photographs of the unit immediately before, or at the inception of, the tenancy.” Ask for those records and keep them with your own.
How long does a landlord have to return a deposit?
It depends on the state, which is why the deadline belongs on your checklist for every new city. Here is what four states with city guides on this site say in their own statutes:
- Texas (Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio): the Property Code says the landlord “shall refund a security deposit to the tenant on or before the 30th day after the date the tenant surrenders the premises.”
- California (San Diego): the landlord must send an itemized statement and return what remains “No later than 21 calendar days after the tenant has vacated the premises.”
- Washington (Seattle): within 30 days after the rental agreement ends and you leave, the landlord “shall give a full and specific statement of the basis for retaining any of the deposit,” together with any refund due.
- Florida (Orlando, Tampa): if the landlord makes no claim, the statute says it “must return the security deposit, together with interest if otherwise required, within 15 days after the termination of the rental agreement.” To make a claim, it must send written notice within 30 days.
For any other state, look up its landlord-tenant statute or its attorney general’s tenant guide before you sign, and put the date in your calendar.
What can a landlord keep, and what can't it?
Damage beyond normal use and charges you owe, not ordinary wear. Texas says the landlord “may deduct from the deposit damages and charges for which the tenant is legally liable under the lease,” but “may not retain any portion of a security deposit to cover normal wear and tear,” and must give “a written description and itemized list of all deductions.” California bars claims “for ordinary wear and tear or the effects thereof.” In Washington, the landlord cannot keep the deposit for repairing or replacing fixtures, appliances and furnishings “if their condition was not reasonably documented in the written checklist.”
California also lets you ask for a walk-through before you leave. The landlord must, “upon the request of the tenant, make an initial inspection of the premises prior to any final inspection,” so that you have the chance to fix what it finds and avoid the deduction.
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What should you do on move-out day?
- Clean the unit back to the condition in your move-in photos, then take a second set of photos and video in the same order.
- Return every key, and record in writing the date and time you left.
- Give a written forwarding address. In Texas, the landlord “is not obligated to return a tenant's security deposit or give the tenant a written description of damages and charges until the tenant gives the landlord a written statement of the tenant's forwarding address.” Florida’s required notice tells tenants to give the landlord their new address when they move out, so it can send notices about the deposit.
- Pay the last month’s rent. Texas says “The tenant may not withhold payment of any portion of the last month's rent on grounds that the security deposit is security for unpaid rent.”
What if the deposit doesn't come back?
Start in writing. Send the landlord a dated letter or email that names your state’s deadline, your move-out date and your forwarding address, attaches your photos, and asks for the deposit or the itemized list the law requires. In Florida, object in writing within 15 days of receiving the landlord’s notice of a claim; otherwise the statute lets the landlord deduct it. If writing does not settle it, look up your state’s small claims process and its attorney general’s tenant resources.
Before you book the next place, the housing options comparison sets out the deposit and lease-break terms for each kind of rental.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit?
It depends on the state. Texas law says on or before the 30th day after you surrender the premises, California says 21 calendar days after you vacate, Washington 30 days, and Florida 15 days when the landlord makes no claim. Check the state you rent in.
Can a landlord keep my deposit for normal wear and tear?
Not in Texas or California, whose laws bar deductions for normal or ordinary wear and tear. Deductions are for damage and charges you are liable for under the lease, and Texas requires a written, itemized list of them.
Do I need to give my landlord a forwarding address?
Yes. In Texas the landlord is not obligated to return the deposit or list deductions until you give a written forwarding address, and Florida's required notice tells tenants to give the landlord their new address when they move out.
Sources
- Washington RCW 59.18.260: Deposit, written checklist required, read October 22, 2026
- Washington RCW 59.18.280: Return of deposit, read October 22, 2026
- California Civil Code section 1950.5, read October 22, 2026
- Texas Property Code, chapter 92, subchapter C: Security deposits, read October 22, 2026
- Florida Statutes section 83.49: Deposit money or advance rent, read October 22, 2026