How Security Deposit Deadlines Are Counted, State by State
A deposit deadline has three parts: the number of days, the kind of days, and the event that starts the count. Two states with the same number can end on different dates because they count differently. This guide compares the approaches in the 44 statutes verified on this site, with dates worked from a tenancy that ended on November 30, 2026. It is general information, not advice.
Calendar days and business days
Almost every verified statute counts calendar days. Arizona counts business days: “Within fourteen days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays or other legal holidays” (A.R.S. § 33-1321(A), (D)). Worked example: 14 business days from November 30, 2026 ends on December 18, 2026, while 14 calendar days would end on December 14, 2026. Legal holidays push the Arizona date later still; the calculator here does not model them.
What starts the clock
- The end of the tenancy is the most common trigger.
- The tenant's departure as the landlord learns of it. Vermont counts from when the landlord learns the tenant has left (9 V.S.A. § 4461(c)).
- The latest of several events. Rhode Island counts from the latest of: the tenancy ending, the landlord regaining possession, or the tenant giving a forwarding address (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19).
- A demand or an address. Arizona's count starts after the tenancy ends, possession is delivered and the tenant demands the accounting; Minnesota's runs after termination, once the landlord has the tenant's mailing address or delivery instructions.
Two periods, one deadline
Some statutes give two periods and say which governs:
- West Virginia: the shorter of 60 days after the tenancy ends or 45 days after a new tenant moves in. Worked example: if a new tenant moves in 10 days after the old tenancy ends, the 45-day period ends January 24, 2027, before the 60-day date of January 29, 2027, so the earlier date applies.
- Idaho: 21 days unless the agreement fixes a time, and in any event 30 days (Idaho Code § 6-321): December 21, 2026 by default, December 30, 2026 at the latest.
- Maine: up to 30 days under a written agreement, 21 days for a tenancy at will (14 M.R.S. §§ 6032, 6033).
- North Carolina: 30 days, with an interim accounting allowing a final one by day 60 (N.C.G.S. §§ 42-51(b), 42-52).
Where to see every state
The security deposit table ranks all verified deadlines, and each state page works the dates through. To see what happens when the deadline passes, read when a landlord does not return the deposit.
Sources
- Arizona Legislature, A.R.S. § 33-1321; Vermont General Assembly, 9 V.S.A. § 4461; Rhode Island General Assembly, § 34-18-19; Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, § 504B.178; West Virginia Legislature, Code § 37-6A-1; West Virginia Legislature, Code § 37-6A-2; Idaho Legislature, Idaho Code § 6-321; Maine Legislature, 14 M.R.S. § 6032; Maine Legislature, 14 M.R.S. § 6033; North Carolina General Assembly, G.S. 42-51; North Carolina General Assembly, G.S. 42-52. All checked October 21, 2026.
Questions
Do weekends count toward a deposit deadline?
In most verified states the deadline is in calendar days, so weekends count. Arizona is the exception among them: its statute excludes Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays.
Can a lease change the deadline?
Some statutes let the agreement set the period within a ceiling. Idaho and Maine are examples; the state pages quote the wording.
Does the lookup handle holidays?
No. It skips weekends for business-day deadlines but does not model legal holidays, so an Arizona date can fall later than shown.