Security deposit return deadline in New York

In New York, a landlord has 14 days to return your security deposit.

Work out your New York deadline

Your move-out day — when the keys went back.

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Not legal advice. This is general information, not legal advice, and it is calculated only from the dates you entered. Whether a penalty applies is for a court to decide, not this site — and your landlord may dispute the dates or the reason for any deduction. Deadlines and penalties change and vary by jurisdiction. Verify with the cited statute or consult a licensed attorney in your state before you rely on any of this.

What New York law requires

  • 14 days to return the deposit, counted from the day you handed back the property.

    One clock covers both duties, not two. The statute says the landlord “shall provide... and shall return”, so the itemised statement and the money are both due within the same 14 days of you vacating. There is also a separate inspection your landlord must offer you one to two weeks before the tenancy ends, under subdivision (d). That is an earlier step in the process rather than a second refund deadline, so missing it is a different complaint from being paid late.

    7-108(1-a)(e)

Do you have to give a forwarding address?

New York does not require one. The statute says nothing about a forwarding address, and the 14-day clock for the statement and the refund runs from the day you vacate whether or not you gave your landlord a new address. Giving one is still worth doing, since it is where the statement and the money will be sent.

What to do next

  1. Write it down. Put the date you handed back the property in one place. Every deadline on this page is counted from one of those.
  2. Ask in writing. Email is fine and it timestamps itself. Say what you are asking for, cite the subsection above, and give a date by which you expect a reply.
  3. Keep the receipt. If you post a letter, pay for tracking. It costs a few dollars and it is the difference between "I sent it" and proof that you did. You do not need to buy a service to do this — the post office will.

There is a longer walkthrough, including what an itemised statement should contain and when small claims is worth it, in what to do if your landlord won't return your deposit.