How much a landlord can charge, and which deductions are actually legal
This page covers how much a landlord may charge in Wyoming, and which deductions from a residential deposit are lawful. It assumes the tenancy has ended and the question is what may be withheld.
It does not cover:
No statutory cap under state law (a landlord may charge whatever amount the lease specifies).
Caps frequently carry exceptions — smaller landlords, furnished units, or pets are treated differently in most states. Read the provision itself rather than relying on the headline figure.
| Claimed deduction | Permitted in Wyoming |
|---|---|
| Accrued unpaid rent | Permitted, if substantiated |
| Damages beyond reasonable wear and tear | Permitted, if substantiated |
| Cost to clean the unit to its condition at the start of the rental agreement | Permitted, if substantiated |
| Other costs provided by contract | Permitted, if substantiated |
| Claimed deduction | Permitted in Wyoming |
|---|---|
| Reasonable wear and tear | Not permitted |
| Any amount without the written itemization within the deadline | Not permitted |
Whether a specific charge is lawful depends on the facts — how old the damage is, whether the lease addressed it, and whether the landlord can document the cost. A charge being in the "permitted" column does not make it automatically collectable.
The landlord may apply the deposit only to accrued rent, damage beyond reasonable wear and tear, cleaning to restore the unit, and other costs provided by contract, itemized in writing with reasons.
In Wyoming the burden sits with the landlord. This matters strategically: if the burden is theirs, your task is to request the documentation rather than to prove the deduction wrong. Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1208(a) ↗
No statutory penalty beyond returning the deposit.
If the owner UNREASONABLY fails to comply, the renter may recover the FULL deposit and court costs. There is no multiplier and no attorney-fee provision — Wyoming's remedy is relatively landlord-friendly.
Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1208(c) ↗An unreasonable failure to comply lets the renter recover the full deposit plus court costs — no need to itemize the wrongfully withheld portion.
Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1208(c) ↗Wyoming's deadline is the later of 30 days after termination or 15 days after the landlord receives the new address, with a 30-day extension for damage.
Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1208(a) ↗““I have 60 days because of the damage extension.””
The 30-day extension applies only where there is actual damage, and the deadline is the later of 30 days after termination or 15 days after you received my new address.
Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1208(a)
““I'll keep the deposit and you can sue me.””
An unreasonable failure to comply entitles me to recover my full deposit plus court costs.
Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1208(c)
““You never gave me your new address.””
Here is my new mailing address now. The deadline runs from the later of 30 days after termination or 15 days after you receive this address.
Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1208(a)
Some widely circulated summaries of Wyoming deposit law state things the statute does not say. We list the disagreements rather than picking a side silently.
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| Some summaries | 30 days |
| Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1208(a) | Later of 30 days after termination or 15 days after new address (plus 30-day damage extension) |
What we follow: Later-of deadline, plus damage extension
The statute's "whichever is later" structure and the 30-day damage extension are operative details frequently omitted.
Every figure on this page comes from the official text, not from a summary. The table below lists each provision used and the date it was last checked against the source.
| Statute | Last verified | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1208(a) | 2026-10-15 | official text ↗ |
| Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1208(c) | 2026-10-15 | official text ↗ |
Primary reference: Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1208 (Return of security deposit). Where the official text and a secondary summary disagree, this page follows the official text and says so. Amendments are recorded on the site changelog.
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.
Wyoming Security Deposit Return
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The statute does not permit deductions for: reasonable wear and tear; any amount without the written itemization within the deadline.
The landlord. The landlord may apply the deposit only to accrued rent, damage beyond reasonable wear and tear, cleaning to restore the unit, and other costs provided by contract, itemized in writing with reasons.
No statutory cap under state law (a landlord may charge whatever amount the lease specifies).
No. Reasonable wear and tear