Overview
Security-deposit disagreements are one of the most common reasons a tenancy ends badly. A documented workflow — condition evidence, itemised deductions, deadlines — prevents most of them.
Security-deposit disagreements are one of the most common reasons a tenancy ends badly. A documented workflow — condition evidence, itemised deductions, deadlines — prevents most of them.
Hold deposits separately from rent income, record where they are held, never apply a rent payment to deposit balance, and return or itemise within your state's deadline using the move-in inspection as the baseline.
Security-deposit disagreements are one of the most common reasons a tenancy ends badly. A documented workflow — condition evidence, itemised deductions, deadlines — prevents most of them.
Deposit handling is the most commonly litigated part of a tenancy and the easiest to get right, because almost all of it is bookkeeping and documentation rather than judgement.
Two habits carry most of the protection: a deposit balance that is structurally separate from rent, and a photographed move-in inspection the resident acknowledged. Without the second, normal wear becomes indistinguishable from damage.
1. Hold the deposit in the account your state requires — often separate from operating funds. 2. Photograph and inspect at move-in with the resident. 3. Photograph and inspect at move-out. 4. Itemize deductions with receipts. 5. Return the balance within the statutory window to the forwarding address.
It is set by state law and varies widely, commonly 14 to 45 days after possession ends. Confirm your state's deadline and the itemisation rules that go with it.
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$49/month includes 5 units, then per-unit pricing that drops as you grow. Optional modules are billed separately and must be added deliberately.
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