Renting · Checklist · Reviewed July 14, 2026

Move-out deposit record check

The inspection, photograph, deduction, and 21-day rules that shape a California move-out deposit.

The short version

The deposit follows a timeline

After a tenant moves out, the landlord generally has 21 calendar days to return the rest of the deposit, and any deductions must be listed. Only certain costs may be taken out - they include unpaid rent, damage the tenant caused beyond ordinary wear, and needed cleaning.

What changes the answer: Ordinary wear, old damage, and an automatic professional-cleaning charge are not valid deductions by themselves.

Official: Security deposit guide

A deposit dispute usually turns on condition, dates, lawful deductions, and the return package. Build that record before the last box leaves, then compare the itemization with the actual move-in and move-out evidence.

How it works

The initial inspection is a repair window

After either side gives notice to end the tenancy, the landlord must explain the inspection option in writing. The tenant may ask for an initial inspection. It generally happens no earlier than two weeks before the end date.

The landlord lists the cleaning or repairs that may be charged to the deposit. The tenant then has time to fix listed items when the lease and the law allow it. The tenant may also decline the inspection.

Condition means before and after

One move-out photo rarely tells the whole story. Match each room to the move-in record. Label the date and room. Include floors, walls, appliances, windows, fixtures, and old damage. Keep proof of returned keys too.

For a tenancy beginning on or after July 1, 2025, the landlord must take move-in photographs. Another photo rule began April 1, 2025. A landlord claiming cleaning or repair costs must photograph the condition before and after the work, with limited exceptions.

The deposit pays only allowed costs

The landlord may use the deposit only for allowed costs that are reasonably needed. These can include unpaid rent and damage caused by the tenant beyond ordinary wear. Needed cleaning can also count. So can covered damage to the landlord's belongings.

Normal fading and ordinary use are different from new damage. The landlord cannot charge for a condition that was there before the tenancy. Cleaning must be needed to bring the unit back to its starting level. It is not an automatic fee.

The return package is due in 21 days

The landlord generally has 21 calendar days after the tenant leaves to send the remaining deposit. An itemized statement must explain each deduction. Invoices, receipts, or work details may also be required.

Sometimes the work or final bill cannot be ready in 21 days. The landlord may then use a good-faith estimate. Final documents generally follow within 14 calendar days after the work is done or the bill arrives.

A disagreement starts with the record

Put the lease, photos, inspection list, repair messages, key return, statement, bills, and envelope dates side by side. Mark each charge that does not match the starting condition, an allowed cost, the amount, or the timeline.

California Courts has a demand-letter tool and small-claims guide. A court may add damages when a deposit was kept in bad faith, but that result is not automatic. Get legal help when the dispute also involves an eviction, lockout, discrimination, bankruptcy, or a larger claim.

First useful action

Start with the route selector

Pick the closest task. The result will point to the focused page or official office that fits.

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Step selector

Select the move-out stage.

Pick an option above to see the right first stop.

First moves

1
Put the lease, deposit receipt, move-in checklist, move-in photos, repair messages, and rent ledger in one folder.
2
Save the move-out notice and the landlord's written notice of the option to request an initial inspection.
3
Request the initial inspection in writing if it will help. The inspection generally happens no earlier than two weeks before the tenancy ends.
4
Before moving out, photograph or film every room. Include floors, walls, appliances, windows, the yard, and old damage.
5
Clean and repair what you reasonably can. Save receipts for supplies, hired help, and hauling.
6
Return keys, remotes, and openers in a way that leaves a record. Save the receipt, text, or signed note.
7
Send a forwarding address in writing and save a copy of the message.
8
When the return package arrives, keep everything together: the envelope, payment, itemized list, estimates, receipts, invoices, and photographs.
9
If the numbers do not add up, use the California Courts deposit guide, the demand-letter tool, or legal-aid help before picking a court step.

Watch for

1
No later than 21 calendar days after the tenant has vacated, the landlord generally must send the remaining deposit and itemized statement. Exact dates and proof matter.
2
Lawful deduction categories are limited. Ordinary wear, preexisting conditions, and automatic professional cleaning charges are common trouble spots.
3
A photo without a date or room label is harder to use later. Match it to a move-in photo when you can.
4
Move-in photographs are required for tenancies beginning on or after July 1, 2025. Post-move-out deduction photographs have applied since April 1, 2025.
5
A good-faith estimate can be used when work or records cannot be completed in 21 days. Final documentation generally follows within 14 calendar days after completion or receipt.
6
Local rent rules can add deposit interest or extra move-out steps in some cities.
7
A demand letter, a court form, a small-claims filing, and legal-aid intake are different steps. Read the official pages before picking one.
8
If eviction, lockout, harassment, discrimination, habitability, bankruptcy, or a large money dispute is mixed in, the deposit folder is only one piece. Get qualified help.

Official sources

Where to confirm this

Use the source that matches the step you are on. Current forms, fees, deadlines, and agency decisions can change after this page is reviewed.

Security deposit guide California Courts court guide to deposit issues and next steps Small claims common issues California Courts court page with deposit timing and deduction examples Security-deposit demand letter California Courts court letter tool source Small claims start guide California Courts small-claims first steps Small claims forms California Courts court forms source Find my court California Courts local court finder Court self-help centers California Courts local court self-help finder Tenants guide California Department of Justice state tenant resource page 2026 landlord and tenant guide California Department of Real Estate current inspection, move-out, and deposit guide Security deposit law California Legislative Information Civil Code section 1950.5 Legal help California Courts free and low-cost help source

Use this as a map. It does not decide your rights, tell you what to file, or say someone broke the law. If a deadline, denial, eviction, firing, injury, tax bill, permit fight, or insurance dispute is on the line, use the official source or a licensed professional.

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