California has its own deposit rules, its own deadlines and its own penalties. This page is the starting point.
California has its own deposit rules, its own deadlines and its own penalties. This page is the starting point — it lists every California topic we cover and what the statute says for each.
How long a landlord has to return your deposit, and what you can claim if they miss it
How much a landlord can charge, and which deductions are actually legal
| Statute | Last verified | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(h)(1) | 2026-10-04 | official text ↗ |
| Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(m) | 2026-10-04 | official text ↗ |
| Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(o) | 2026-10-04 | official text ↗ |
| Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(e)(2), (m) | 2026-10-04 | official text ↗ |
| Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(h)(2), (h)(4)(A), (h)(5) | 2026-10-04 | official text ↗ |
| Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(h)(7) | 2026-10-04 | official text ↗ |
| Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(g)(1), (g)(2) | 2026-10-04 | official text ↗ |
| Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(f)(1), (f)(4) | 2026-10-04 | official text ↗ |
Each figure above links to the official text and carries the date it was last checked. Where a summary and the statute disagree, these pages follow the statute.
A self-help letter is the right starting point for a single deposit you can document. Get legal help if:
Local legal aid organisations and tenant unions offer free help for qualifying cases. They are independent of this site — we list them because they are the right place to go, not because they link here.
LeaseClaim is an independent tool. We are not a law firm, we do not give legal advice, and nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship. Rules change — verify against the official text before relying on anything you read.