Renter guides
Everything we know about keeping your deposit — deadlines, letters, and the evidence that wins arguments.
How to Get Your Security Deposit Back in Texas (2026 Guide)
Texas landlords have 30 days to return your deposit — and owe you $100 + 3x the amount if they wrongfully withhold it. The exact steps, deadlines, and letters.
Landlord Won't Return Your Deposit? Do These 5 Things Today
The deadline passed and your deposit didn’t come back. Five concrete steps — forwarding address, demand letter, small claims — in the order that actually works.
Security Deposit Demand Letter: Free Template + What to Say
A demand letter that cites your state statute gets deposits back without court. What to include, what to leave out, and a template you can adapt in 10 minutes.
Normal Wear and Tear vs. Damage: What Landlords Can Legally Charge For
Nail holes, carpet paths, faded paint — normal wear. Broken doors, burns, pet stains — damage. Where courts actually draw the line, item by item.
Move-In Inspection Checklist: What to Photograph (Room by Room)
The 10-minute photo walkthrough that protects your entire deposit. What to shoot in every room, and how to make the photos hold up a year later.
How Long Does a Landlord Have to Return Your Deposit? (All 50 States)
Deposit-return deadlines range from 14 to 45 days depending on your state. The full deadline chart, what happens when a landlord misses it, and how to enforce it.
How to Sue Your Landlord in Small Claims Court for Your Deposit
Small claims is built for deposit disputes: low fees, no lawyer, limits up to $20,000. The step-by-step process, what evidence wins, and how to collect if you win.
Can My Landlord Charge Me for Carpet Cleaning?
Routine carpet cleaning is usually normal wear and tear — not a legal deduction. When a carpet charge is legitimate, when it is not, and how to dispute it.
Landlord Kept Your Deposit? The Penalties That Double or Triple It
Many states punish bad-faith withholding with 2x or 3x damages plus attorney fees. What your state allows, and how to put those penalties to work in a demand letter.
Move-Out Cleaning Checklist: Get Your Full Deposit Back
The room-by-room cleaning checklist that removes your landlord’s excuses to deduct — plus the cheap fixes they love to bill at 10x, done for a few dollars.
Looking for your state’s rules? Deposit law, all 50 states →