Original research · updated 2026

Security deposit laws, ranked: the Penalty Index

Every state's security deposit laws, ranked by how hard they punish a landlord who wrongfully keeps a deposit. Scored on damage multipliers, return deadlines, attorney fee shifting, and forfeiture rules. Every input verified against the primary statute text.

Cite freely with a link (CC BY 4.0). Methodology below the table.

#	Jurisdiction	Deadline	Multiplier	Fees shift	Score
1	Georgia	30 days	3×	Yes	81
2	Colorado	30 days	3×	Yes	75
3	Maryland	45 days	3×	Yes	75
4	Massachusetts	30 days	3×	Yes	75
5	South Carolina	30 days	3×	Yes	75
6	Texas	30 days	3×	Yes	75
7	Hawaii	14 days	3×	No	74
8	Washington	30 days	2×	Yes	61
9	District of Columbia	45 days	3×	No	60
10	North Dakota	30 days	3×	No	60
11	Rhode Island	20 days	2×	Yes	60
12	Wisconsin	21 days	2×	Yes	60
13	Arkansas	60 days	2×	Yes	55
14	Illinois	45 days	2×	Yes	55
15	Maine	30 days	2×	Yes	55
16	New Jersey	30 days	2×	Yes	55
17	Ohio	30 days	2×	Yes	55
18	New York	14 days	2×	No	54
19	Vermont	14 days	2×	No	54
20	Kansas	30 days	2.5×	No	50
21	West Virginia	60 days	2.5×	No	50
22	Alaska	14 days	2×	No	48
23	Arizona	14 days	2×	No	48
24	Pennsylvania	30 days	2×	No	46
25	California	21 days	2×	No	45
26	Connecticut	21 days	2×	No	45
27	Delaware	20 days	2×	No	45
28	Alabama	60 days	2×	No	40
29	Michigan	30 days	2×	No	40
30	Missouri	30 days	2×	No	40
31	New Hampshire	30 days	2×	No	40
32	Oregon	31 days	2×	No	40
33	Nebraska	14 days	None	Yes	31
34	Florida	30 days	None	Yes	29
35	Indiana	45 days	None	Yes	29
36	Montana	30 days	None	Yes	29
37	New Mexico	30 days	None	Yes	29
38	North Carolina	60 days	None	Yes	29
39	Louisiana	30 days	None	Yes	23
40	Utah	30 days	None	Yes	23
41	Virginia	45 days	None	Yes	23
42	Kentucky	Duties-based	None	No	18
43	Tennessee	Duties-based	None	No	18
44	South Dakota	14 days	None	No	16
45	Idaho	21 days	None	No	13
46	Minnesota	21 days	None	No	13
47	Iowa	30 days	None	No	8
48	Mississippi	45 days	None	No	8
49	Nevada	30 days	None	No	8
50	Oklahoma	45 days	None	No	8
51	Wyoming	60 days	None	No	8

Methodology

Scores combine four verified statutory features: the damage multiplier available against wrongful withholding (20 points per ×), attorney fee shifting to the landlord (15 points), the strictness of the return deadline (up to 15 points; duties-based statutes score 10), and explicit rules forfeiting deductions (6 points). Inputs come from our 51-jurisdiction statute dataset, checked against each state's primary source. The citations are linked from every state page. Scores compare statutes' written remedies; courts decide actual awards, and this is general legal information, not legal advice.