The rule in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania limits a residential security deposit to 2 months' rent in the first year of the lease; 1 month from the second year on. The wording in 68 P.S. §§ 250.511a, 250.512 (Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, §§ 511.1, 512): “No landlord may require a sum in excess of two months' rent to be deposited in escrow for the payment of damages to the leasehold premises and/or default in rent thereof during the first year of any lease.”
The return deadline is 30 days, counted from the end of the lease or the landlord's acceptance of the surrendered premises, whichever comes first. The text reads: “within thirty days of termination of a lease or upon surrender and acceptance of the leasehold premises, whichever first occurs.”
Of the 44 jurisdictions verified here, 15 give landlords less time and 9 give more; the median is 30 days. 19 others also allow 30 days, among them Iowa, Kansas, Maine and Massachusetts.
What the cap means in dollars: $1,000 rent: up to $2,000, $1,500 rent: up to $3,000 and $2,000 rent: up to $4,000.
Worked date: if the clock starts on November 30, 2026, the deadline falls on December 30, 2026.
In neighbouring states with verified rules: Delaware allows 20 days and caps deposits at one month's rent, Maryland allows 45 days and caps deposits at one month's rent, New Jersey allows 30 days and caps deposits at one and a half months' rent, New York allows 14 days and caps deposits at one month's rent, Ohio allows 30 days and sets no cap and West Virginia allows 60 days and sets no cap.
During the second and later years of a lease, or a renewal, the deposit may not exceed one month's rent (§ 511.1(b)).
A landlord who does not send the written list of damages within thirty days forfeits the right to withhold any of the deposit (§ 512(b)).
If a deposit is not returned, the small claims limit in Pennsylvania is $12,000 (small claims rules); at the cap, a full-deposit claim fits whenever rent is $6,000 a month or less.
Source: Pennsylvania General Assembly, Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 (1951 Act 20) · last checked October 21, 2026.
If the deposit does not come back
The statute above sets the deadline; what happens after it passes is covered in general terms in the guide on a deposit that is not returned, and the way each state starts and counts the clock is compared in how deposit deadlines are counted.
Questions
How much can a landlord charge as a security deposit in Pennsylvania?
2 months' rent in the first year of the lease; 1 month from the second year on, under 68 P.S. §§ 250.511a, 250.512 (Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, §§ 511.1, 512).
How long does a landlord in Pennsylvania have to return a deposit?
30 days: “within thirty days of termination of a lease or upon surrender and acceptance of the leasehold premises, whichever first occurs” (68 P.S. §§ 250.511a, 250.512 (Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, §§ 511.1, 512)).
When does the Pennsylvania deadline start?
The clock runs from the end of the lease or the landlord's acceptance of the surrendered premises, whichever comes first.