Return deadlines and penalty multipliers differ substantially between states. Some states let a landlord forfeit the entire deposit automatically; others require a court to find bad faith. Each page below states the deadline, the multiplier, and links to the official statute.
Return within 21 days
2x penalty · requires a court finding
Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5 ↗
Return within 30 days
3x penalty · statutory, automatic
Tex. Prop. Code Ch. 92, Subchapter C ↗
Return within 15 days or 30 days
Fla. Stat. § 83.49 ↗
Return within 14 days
2x penalty · requires a court finding
N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108 (rewritten by the 2019 HSTPA) ↗
Return within 30 days
2x penalty · requires a court finding
68 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 250.512 ↗