Enter the date the tenant moved out. We'll give you the exact calendar-day deadline under Civil Code §1950.5 to return the deposit or send the itemized statement — plus a one-click calendar reminder so it doesn't slip.
The date the tenant vacated or returned the keys — not the lease end date.
A move-out on a Friday doesn't buy extra time — the clock runs through the weekend and any holidays in between. Landlords who count in business days routinely land a week past the actual deadline without realizing it, which is enough to forfeit an otherwise legitimate deduction. There is no grace period and no notice from the state before the deadline passes.
Calendar days. Weekends and holidays count toward the 21 days — the deadline does not move if it lands on a Saturday or a holiday.
The date the tenancy ended and the landlord regained possession — generally when the tenant vacates or returns the keys, not the date on the lease.
The landlord must return the full deposit, or deliver an itemized statement of any deductions (with receipts or good-faith estimates for repair or cleaning costs over $125), by the 21st calendar day.
A landlord who misses the deadline generally forfeits the right to make any deduction from the security deposit, regardless of whether the underlying damage was real.
California law permits a good-faith estimate in specified circumstances when the work or documentation cannot reasonably be completed within 21 calendar days, with follow-up documentation generally due within 14 calendar days after completion.
Property managers, landlord associations, and California tenant-law writers are welcome to drop this into a post. No key, no tracking script, no account — paste the snippet and it works. All we ask is that the attribution link stays.
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What §1950.5 requires and how to write the accounting letter.
Itemized deductions, receipts over $125, and the evidence a packet needs.
The 2× bad-faith exposure, and the record that defends against it.
Start the packet on move-in day, so the 21-day deadline is a formality, not a scramble.