Landlord-Tenant Dispute Calculator
Estimate potential damages for unpaid rent, unreturned security deposits, and wrongful eviction, including treble damages for bad faith.
Built for general U.S. informational use. Local rules, court practices, and case facts can change the result.
Landlord-Tenant Dispute Calculator
Fill in the fields below to get your estimate
Security Deposit Laws and Treble Damages
Landlord-tenant law varies widely by city and state, but many jurisdictions offer strong protections against predatory landlord practices regarding security deposits.
Most states require landlords to return a security deposit (or an itemized list of deductions for actual damages/cleaning) within 14 to 30 days of move-out. If they fail to do so, they forfeit the right to keep any of it. If they act in "bad faith," statutory laws often award the tenant Treble Damages (three times the deposit amount) as a penalty.
This calculator estimates statutory penalties broadly used in tenant-friendly states. Certain states have no treble damages. Local municipal rent control ordinances can also drastically alter the rules. Contact a local legal aid society or tenant lawyer.
How this estimate works
This dispute estimator organizes rent, deposits, repair costs, penalties, and habitability damages into a practical claim summary. It is most useful when the user has written notices, photos, receipts, and a rent ledger.
Inputs this page weighs
- Deposit amount and withheld charges.
- Repair, hotel, moving, or replacement costs.
- Notice dates and lease terms.
- Local penalty or multiplier rules.
How to verify the result
Check the lease, local landlord-tenant code, small-claims limits, and proof requirements before sending a demand or filing.
How to use this Landlord-Tenant Dispute Calculator well
Best used when
- Organizing a deposit, repair, habitability, or lockout dispute into real numbers.
- Comparing several damage scenarios before sending a demand or complaint.
- Turning scattered receipts and photos into a more usable claim summary.
Be careful if
- Lease language and local notice rules often control what can actually be recovered.
- Some states cap multipliers, penalties, or time periods in ways the estimate may not reflect.
- Strong documentation usually matters more than a large claimed amount.
Questions to answer next
- Do you have dated photos, receipts, notices, and a clean rent ledger?
- Was proper written notice given before the dispute escalated?
- What local landlord-tenant code or small-claims rules may limit recovery?
Before you use a procedural calculator
What to gather first
- The exact dates, notices, contracts, or lease terms that control the issue.
- Court papers or agency notices that show how service, filing, or notice was handled.
- Any local rule, county form, or deadline notice connected to your matter.
Why results may change
- Court calendars, service rules, holidays, and local forms often change practical deadlines.
- A small date error can create a large legal problem, especially when filing windows are short.
- Many procedural tools assume a standard timeline and may not account for special exceptions.
Best next step
- Confirm the estimate against the notice you received and the court or agency instructions.
- Write down the assumptions the calculator used, especially dates and notice periods.
- Get direct legal help quickly if you are close to a deadline or facing eviction, garnishment, or default.