New York security deposit deadline
In New York, a landlord has 14 days after you move out to give you an itemized statement and return the rest of your deposit. The statute says a landlord who misses that deadline forfeits any right to keep part of the deposit.
| Deadline | Itemized statement and the rest of the deposit: 14 days, 14 days after you vacated (moved out). GOL § 7-108(1-a)(e) |
|---|---|
| If the landlord misses it | New York's statute says: “If a landlord fails to provide the tenant with the statement and deposit within fourteen days, the landlord shall forfeit any right to retain any portion of the deposit.” GOL § 7-108(1-a)(e) |
| Penalty | A landlord who violates this part of the statute is liable for actual damages. A landlord “found to have willfully violated” it is liable for punitive damages “of up to twice the amount of the deposit or advance.” GOL § 7-108(1-a)(g) |
| Receipts | The statute calls for an itemized statement “indicating the basis for the amount of the deposit retained”. It does not mention receipts. GOL § 7-108(1-a)(e) |
| Your steps | The statute does not require you to do anything before the landlord's 14 days run. GOL § 7-108(1-a)(e) |
| Landlord’s duties before move-out | Before the tenancy ends, the landlord must notify you in writing of your right to request an inspection, to be held no earlier than two weeks and no later than one week before the end of the tenancy, so you have the chance to fix anything it finds (unless you ended the tenancy with less than two weeks' notice). GOL § 7-108(1-a)(d) |
| Small claims | Small claims limits: $10,000 in New York City; $5,000 in other city courts and in Nassau and Suffolk district courts; $3,000 in town and village courts. Check with your court. |
- This part of the statute does not apply to units under New York City rent control (the city rent and rehabilitation law) or the emergency housing rent control law.
- The 14 days run from the day you vacated, not from the end date in your lease.
Check your own dates
Sources
Checked against the statute text on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. General information, not legal advice.