Security deposit deduction calculator
Build an itemized deposit disposition you could defend in small claims: line-item deductions, the refund owed, your state's return deadline, and a draft letter you can copy straight into an email or envelope.
How this calculator works
Pick your state, enter the original deposit, then add each deduction as its own line with a specific description and amount. The tool keeps a running total, computes the refund owed to the tenant (or the balance the tenant still owes you, if damage exceeded the deposit), and shows the statutory return deadline for the state you selected. The draft disposition letter updates as you type: copy it, attach your receipts, and send it before the deadline.
What makes a deduction defensible
- Specific, not vague. "Damage - $400" loses in court. "Replace broken bedroom door, materials and labor - $180" holds up. One line per item, each tied to something you can show a photo of.
- Beyond normal wear and tear. Faded paint, minor scuffs, and carpet worn flat by ordinary use are yours to absorb in every state. Holes in doors, pet stains, and burns are chargeable. The move-in record is what proves the difference.
- Depreciated, not replacement-cost. If a tenant destroys eight-year-old carpet with a ten-year life, most courts will let you charge the remaining two years of value, not brand-new carpet. Charging full replacement for aged items is the most common way landlords lose an otherwise solid case.
- Receipts attached. Several states require copies of invoices or receipts with the itemization; even where they're optional, they end arguments.
The deadline is the whole ballgame
Every state sets a clock, commonly 14 to 60 days from move-out, for returning the deposit with a written itemization. Miss it, or send a lump-sum number without itemizing, and in many states you forfeit the right to keep anything, and can owe two or three times the deposit in penalties, regardless of how bad the damage was. The deadline shown in this tool is a planning figure: statutes get amended, some states have different clocks depending on whether the tenant disputes or left a forwarding address, and cities occasionally layer on their own rules. Verify your current statute before you rely on the date.
Caveats
The generated letter is a starting draft, not legal advice. It intentionally covers only the universal elements: deposit, itemized deductions, total, refund, and the deadline statement. Your state may require extra language, receipts, interest on the deposit, or delivery by a specific method (first-class mail to the last known address is the common default). Pair the letter with the move-out photos and the signed move-in record, and keep a copy of everything you send.