U.S. states covered · USPS Certified Mail · From $49.99
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Maximum Recovery Calculator

Enter your state and deposit amount. We'll show the upper bound on what's recoverable — the deposit itself plus your state's statutory penalty multiplier — so you know what's on the table before you escalate.

Estimate your maximum recovery

Free, instant. Based on your state's statutory penalty.

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Estimate only · not legal advice

What you can recover

When a landlord wrongfully withholds a security deposit, your potential recovery isn't capped at the deposit amount. Most states stack a statutory penalty on top — a multiplier (commonly 2x or 3x) designed to make landlords think twice. Many also let the prevailing tenant recover attorney's fees, which shifts the cost of suing onto the landlord rather than the tenant.

That stack — deposit returned + statutory penalty + attorney's fees + court costs — is what makes deposit cases worth pursuing even when the deposit itself is modest. A $1,200 deposit in a 2x-multiplier state with fee-shifting can easily turn into $3,000+ in recovery if it goes the distance.

How the multiplier works

Statutory multipliers vary by state and almost always require something more than a missed deadline. The usual triggers:

  • Bad faith. The landlord knew the deduction was unjustified and withheld anyway.
  • Willful violation. The landlord ignored the statutory itemization process entirely.
  • Failure to itemize. Some states forfeit the right to deduct anything if itemization isn't sent on time.

Whether your facts hit those triggers is the part the calculator can't answer — that's a case-specific legal judgment. What the calculator does answer: if you prevail on the strongest theory available, what's the most you could recover?

What the calculator doesn't do

  1. It's not a prediction of what you'll actually win. It's an upper bound. Most cases settle for less, especially if the landlord has any good-faith argument for the deductions.
  2. It doesn't estimate attorney's fees. If your state allows fee-shifting, you flag it; the dollar amount depends on how far the case goes and what your attorney charges.
  3. It doesn't include interest, where applicable. A few states require landlords to pay interest on the deposit; that's a separate (usually small) addition.

What this number is good for

Two things: deciding whether to escalate, and setting a settlement floor. If your upper-bound recovery is $3,500 and the landlord offers $2,000 to settle, you're now negotiating from a meaningful anchor. If the upper bound is barely more than the deposit and your state doesn't allow attorney's fees, small-claims court may not be worth your time — you'd be leaving with the deposit and a few hundred more.

Next step

The procedural path to actually invoking the statutory penalty is a certified demand letter that cites the specific statute, computes the deadline the landlord missed, and is mailed via USPS Certified with a signed receipt. That's the formal pre-suit demand most states require before damages start accruing.

We generate state-specific demand letters and mail them USPS Certified for $49.99. Start a case or read more about how it works.

State-by-state recovery

Click your state to see its full deadline rule, statutory citation, and the specific penalty framework that applies:

Alabama 60 days Alaska 14-30 days Arizona 14 days Arkansas 60 days California 21 days Colorado 30-60 days Connecticut 30 days Delaware 20 days DC 45 days Florida 15-30 days Georgia 30 days Hawaii 14 days Idaho 21-30 days Illinois 30-45 days Indiana 45 days Iowa 30 days Kansas 30 days Kentucky 30-60 days Louisiana 30 days Maine 21-30 days Maryland 45 days Massachusetts 30 days Michigan 30 days Minnesota 21 days Mississippi 45 days Missouri 30 days Montana 10-30 days Nebraska 14 days Nevada 30 days New Hampshire 30 days New Jersey 30 days New Mexico 30 days New York 14 days North Carolina 30 days North Dakota 30 days Ohio 30 days Oklahoma 45 days Oregon 31 days Pennsylvania 30 days Rhode Island 20 days South Carolina 30 days South Dakota 14 days Tennessee 30-60 days Texas 30 days Utah 30 days Vermont 14 days Virginia 45 days Washington 30 days West Virginia 45-60 days Wisconsin 21 days Wyoming 30 days

Frequently asked questions

Where does the multiplier come from? +

Most U.S. states impose a statutory penalty when a landlord wrongfully withholds a deposit beyond the deadline. Common penalties are 2x or 3x the withheld amount. The multiplier varies state by state and usually requires bad faith or willful misconduct — not every late return triggers the maximum penalty.

Is this what I'll actually get? +

No — this is an upper bound, not a prediction. The calculator shows the maximum a court could theoretically award if your case prevails on the strongest theory available in your state. Actual recovery depends on the facts, the judge, whether the landlord shows up, and whether you negotiate a settlement.

Does this account for attorney's fees? +

We flag whether your state allows the prevailing tenant to recover attorney's fees in a deposit suit. We don't try to estimate the dollar amount — that varies wildly by case complexity and how far it goes.

What if my state isn't shown with multiplier data? +

We've published damages-multiplier data for the states that have completed our attorney review. For other states the calculator points you to the state page where the deadline data is already published; we'll add multiplier data as each state finishes review.

Is this legal advice? +

No. The calculator is a free informational tool that applies your state's published multiplier to a deposit amount. We're not a law firm. For a case-specific recovery estimate you'd want an attorney's written opinion on the merits.