Landlord-Tenant Dispute Calculator
Estimate potential damages for unpaid rent, unreturned security deposits, and wrongful eviction, including treble damages for bad faith.
Landlord-Tenant Dispute Calculator
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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.