Do the 21 days include weekends and holidays?

Yes. The statute counts calendar days, so weekends and holidays are included and the deadline doesn't move for them.

When does the 21-day clock start?

When the tenant vacates — moves out and gives the unit back. If you walk through the unit a few days later, the clock has already been running since they left.

Can I email the itemized statement?

Only if you and the tenant agreed to it, at the start of the tenancy or later. Otherwise deliver it in person or send it by first-class mail.

What if the repair isn't finished within 21 days?

You can deduct a good-faith estimate and send the statement on time, then send the bills or receipts within 14 days of the work being done.

Can I deduct for normal wear and tear?

No. Deductions cover unpaid rent, damage beyond ordinary wear and tear caused by the tenant, and cleaning needed to return the unit to how clean it was at move-in.

What happens if I keep a deposit in bad faith?

A court can award the tenant up to twice the amount of the deposit on top of their actual damages. Missing the 21 days also puts any deductions you meant to keep at risk.

RentMaintain

California security deposit deadline calculator

Put in the day your tenant moved out. You'll get the date your itemized statement and refund are due, and a checklist of what has to go with them under California Civil Code §1950.5.

Itemized statement and refund due

Pick the move-out day to see the deadline.

Send with it

☐ The itemized statement: each deduction and what it's for
☐ Copies of bills or receipts if repair and cleaning top $125
☐ If you deduct for repair or cleaning: photos taken after move-out (before the work) and after it — by mail, email, flash drive or an online link
☐ The refund: in person, by check sent first-class mail, or to a bank account the tenant named in writing

The rules, in the order you'll need them

21 calendar days. Within 21 days of the tenant vacating, send an itemized statement of what you kept and why, and return the rest. (h)(1)
How to send it. The refund goes in person, by check sent first-class mail, or to a bank account the tenant named in writing. The statement goes in person or by first-class mail — by email only if you both agreed to that. (h)(1)
What you can deduct. Unpaid rent; repairing damage the tenant caused beyond ordinary wear and tear; and cleaning to bring the unit back to how clean it was at move-in. Never ordinary wear and tear. (b), (e)
Receipts over $125. If repair and cleaning deductions together top $125, include copies of the bills, invoices or receipts. For work you or your staff did, describe it with the time spent and a reasonable hourly rate. (h)(2), (h)(4)
Work not done yet. Deduct a good-faith estimate, then send the paperwork within 14 days of the work being finished. (h)(3)
Photos. Since April 1, 2025: photograph the unit after you get it back (before repairs or cleaning you'll deduct for) and again after the work. For tenancies starting on or after July 1, 2025: photograph it at or just before move-in, too. If you deduct for repairs or cleaning, give the tenant those photos — by mail, email, flash drive or an online link. (g), (h)(2)(D)
How much you can hold. For deposits taken since July 1, 2024: one month's rent. A small landlord — an individual, or an LLC of individuals, with no more than two rental properties and four units in all — may take two months', unless the tenant is a service member. (c)
Bad faith costs double. Keeping a deposit in bad faith can cost up to twice the deposit in damages, plus the tenant's actual damages. (m)

General information, checked against the statute on September 25, 2026 — not legal advice. Some cities add their own rules, such as interest on deposits. Read the law itself: California Civil Code §1950.5.

Questions landlords ask

Do the 21 days include weekends and holidays?: Yes. The statute counts calendar days, so weekends and holidays are included and the deadline doesn't move for them.
When does the 21-day clock start?: When the tenant vacates — moves out and gives the unit back. If you walk through the unit a few days later, the clock has already been running since they left.
Can I email the itemized statement?: Only if you and the tenant agreed to it, at the start of the tenancy or later. Otherwise deliver it in person or send it by first-class mail.
What if the repair isn't finished within 21 days?: You can deduct a good-faith estimate and send the statement on time, then send the bills or receipts within 14 days of the work being done.
Can I deduct for normal wear and tear?: No. Deductions cover unpaid rent, damage beyond ordinary wear and tear caused by the tenant, and cleaning needed to return the unit to how clean it was at move-in.
What happens if I keep a deposit in bad faith?: A court can award the tenant up to twice the amount of the deposit on top of their actual damages. Missing the 21 days also puts any deductions you meant to keep at risk.