Tenant Rights by State
Lease law guides, tenant protections, security deposit limits, and eviction rules — for all 50 states and Washington DC.
Every State Side by Side
Seven figures that differ most across state lines, for all 50 states and DC. Security deposit caps, return deadlines, entry notice and rent control status are verified as of June 2026; late fee and deposit interest figures carry their own statute citations on the linked pages.
| State | Deposit cap | Deposit return | Entry notice | Late fee cap | Deposit interest | Rent control |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1 month's rent | 60 days | 2 days | No statutory cap | No | None (preempted) |
| Alaska | 2 months' rent (no cap where rent exceeds $2,000/month) | 14 days, or 30 days where deductions are made | 24 hours | No statutory cap | No | None statewide |
| Arizona | 1.5 months' rent | 14 business days | 2 days | No statutory cap | No | None (preempted) |
| Arkansas | 2 months' rent (landlords with 5 or fewer units are exempt from the subchapter) | 60 days | No statute | No statutory cap | No | None |
| California | 1 month's rent (qualifying small landlords may hold 2 months; service members capped at 1) | 21 days | 24 hours | No statutory cap | Local only (San Francisco, Los Angeles) | AB 1482: lower of 5%+regional CPI or 10% (sunset 2030) |
| Colorado | 2 months' rent | 1 month (the lease may extend this to a 60-day maximum) | No general statute | Greater of $50 or 5% of past-due rent | No | None (local preempted) |
| Connecticut | 2 months' rent (1 month for tenants 62 or older) | 21 days | Reasonable notice (no fixed hrs) | No statutory cap | Yes — 0.49% | None statewide (local Fair Rent Commissions) |
| Delaware | 1 month's rent on leases of a year or longer (furnished units exempt) | 20 days | 48 hours (entry between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.) | 5% of monthly rent | No | None |
| District of Columbia | 1 month's rent | 45 days (+30 to itemize) | 48 hours' written notice | No statutory cap | Yes | Rent control applies to buildings permitted by the end of 1975; annual cap is CPI-W + 2% (4.1% for 2026) |
| Florida | No cap | 15 days, or 30 days to give notice of a claim on the deposit | 24 hours (for repairs) | No statutory cap | No | None (preempted) |
| Georgia | 2 months' rent (HB 404; leases entered or renewed on or after July 1, 2024) | 30 days | No statute | No statutory cap | No | None (preempted) |
| Hawaii | 1 month's rent (plus 1 month for pets) | 14 days | 2 days | 8% of the rent due | No | None statewide |
| Idaho | No cap | 21 days (up to 30 if agreed) | No statute | No statutory cap | No | None (preempted §55-306) |
| Illinois | None statewide; Chicago's RLTO sets no amount cap; suburban Cook County caps at 1.5 months' rent (§42-811) | 30–45 days statewide for buildings of 5 or more units; 45 days in Chicago | No statewide statute; 2 days in Chicago | No statutory cap | Yes | None (preempted, 50 ILCS 825) |
| Indiana | No cap | 45 days | "Reasonable" (no fixed hrs) | No statutory cap | No | None (preempted) |
| Iowa | 2 months' rent | 30 days | 24 hours | Rent ≤ $700: $12/day or $60/mo. Rent > $700: $20/day or $100/mo | Yes | None (preempted) |
| Kansas | 1 month's rent unfurnished, 1.5 months furnished (plus half a month for pets) | itemized within 14 days; returned within 30 days | Reasonable (no number) | No statutory cap | No | None (preempted) |
| Kentucky | No cap (URLTA local-option counties) | 30/60-day process | 2 days | No statutory cap | No | None (prohibited, KRS 65.875) |
| Louisiana | No cap | 1 month (Act 63 of 2026 extends the itemization window to about 45 days, effective August 1, 2026) | No statute | No statutory cap | No | None (preempted) |
| Maine | 2 months' rent | 30 days under a written lease, 21 days for at-will tenancies | 24 hours (presumed reasonable) | 4% of one month's rent | No | No statewide cap (Portland has local rules); 45- or 75-day notice for increases |
| Maryland | 1 month's rent (HB 693, effective October 1, 2024) | 45 days | 24 hours (§8-221, effective October 1, 2025) | 5% of the overdue rent (weekly: $3/payment, max $12/mo) | Yes — 1.5% | None statewide (MoCo/PG County local) |
| Massachusetts | 1 month's rent | 30 days | No advance-notice statute | No fee until rent is 30 days overdue | Yes — 5% | None (abolished 1994) |
| Michigan | 1.5 months' rent | 30 days | No statute | No statutory cap | No | None (preempted) |
| Minnesota | No cap | 21 days | At least 24 hours, with entry between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. | 8% of the overdue rent payment | Yes — 1% | None statewide (St. Paul 3%) |
| Mississippi | No cap | 45 days | No statute | No statutory cap | No | None statewide |
| Missouri | 2 months' rent | 30 days | No general statute | No statutory cap | No | None (preempted) |
| Montana | No cap | 10 days, or 30 days where deductions are made | 24 hours | No statutory cap | No | None (preempted) |
| Nebraska | 1 month's rent (plus a quarter of a month for pets) | 14 days | 24 hours' written notice | No statutory cap | No | None (preempted, LB266 2025) |
| Nevada | 3 months' rent (aggregate) | 30 days | 24 hours | 5% of the periodic rent | No | None statewide |
| New Hampshire | The greater of $100 or 1 month's rent | 30 days | No fixed hrs | No statutory cap | Yes | None statewide |
| New Jersey | 1.5 months' rent (annual additions capped at 10%) | 30 days (5/15 business-day special cases) | No statutory hr (1-day is regulatory N.J.A.C. 5:10) | No statutory cap | Yes | None statewide (local home-rule) |
| New Mexico | 1 month's rent (for leases of a year or less) | 30 days | 24 hours' written notice | 10% of the rent for each period in default | Yes | None (preempted) |
| New York | 1 month's rent | 14 days itemized | No statute (reasonable) | Lesser of $50 or 5% of monthly rent | Yes | No statewide cap (local rent regulation) |
| North Carolina | 2 weeks to 2 months' rent depending on tenancy type | 30 days (60 days where the final amount cannot yet be determined) | No statute | Greater of $15 or 5% of monthly rent | No | None (preempted) |
| North Dakota | 1 month's rent (2 months where the tenant has a felony conviction or a prior judgment; a separate pet deposit is allowed) | 30 days | No fixed period (consent/reasonable) | No statutory cap | Yes | None statewide |
| Ohio | No cap | 30 days | 24 hours (presumed reasonable) | No statutory cap | Yes — 5% | None (preempted 2022 §5321.19) |
| Oklahoma | No cap | 45 days (written demand trigger) | 1 day | No statutory cap | No | None (prohibited) |
| Oregon | No cap | 31 days | 24 hours | Flat 5% of rent, or a daily charge ≤ 6% of that flat fee | No | Capped at the lesser of 10% or 7% + CPI (9.5% for 2026); buildings under 15 years old are exempt |
| Pennsylvania | 2 months' rent in the first year, 1 month thereafter | 30 days | No statute | No statutory cap | Yes | None statewide |
| Rhode Island | 1 month's rent (plus 1 month where furnished with furniture worth $5,000 or more) | 20 days | 2 days | No statutory cap | No | None statewide (60/120-day notice only) |
| South Carolina | No cap | 30 days | 24 hours | No statutory cap | No | None statewide |
| South Dakota | 1 month's rent | 2 weeks (itemization within 45 days on request) | 24 hours' written notice (presumed) | No statutory cap | No | None (prohibited) |
| Tennessee | No cap (URLTA counties >75k) | a 60-day process where the tenant does not respond (not a flat 30 days) | Consent at reasonable times; 24 hours for showings | 10% of the past-due rent | No | None (prohibited) |
| Texas | No cap | 30 days (forwarding address required) | No statute | Presumed reasonable if ≤ 12% (≤ 4 units) or ≤ 10% (> 4 units) | No | None (preempted) |
| Utah | No cap | 30 days | 24 hours by default (the lease may vary this) | Greater of 10% of rent or $75 | No | None (prohibited) |
| Vermont | No cap | 14 days (60 days for seasonal tenancies) | 48 hours (entry between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.) | No statutory cap | No | None statewide; no preemption (Burlington has local rules) |
| Virginia | 2 months' rent | 45 days (+15 if contractor) | 72 hours for routine maintenance | Lesser of 10% of periodic rent or 10% of the balance due | No | None (preempted) |
| Washington | No statewide cap (some local) | 30 days | 2 days (1 day for showings) | No statutory percentage cap; 5-day grace required | No | Cap: lesser of 10% or 7%+CPI (RCW 59.18.700, eff. 5/7/2025) |
| West Virginia | No cap | 60 days, or 45 days after a new tenant takes occupancy, whichever is shorter | No statute | No statutory cap | No | None |
| Wisconsin | No cap | 21 days | 12 hours (ATCP 134.09) | No statutory cap | No | None (preempted) |
| Wyoming | No cap | 30 days, or 15 days after receiving a forwarding address, whichever is later (60 days where there is damage) | No statute | No statutory cap | No | None |
Reading across the table, the pattern is that protections cluster rather than spread evenly: 18 states cap a late fee by statute and 14 require deposit interest, and the two groups overlap heavily. A state silent on one is often silent on the other.
Each state name links to its full guide. The late fee and deposit interest columns link to the per-state pages, where every figure carries its statute and the date it was checked.
- AL Alabama
- AK Alaska
- AZ Arizona
- AR Arkansas
- CA California
- CO Colorado
- CT Connecticut
- DE Delaware
- FL Florida
- GA Georgia
- HI Hawaii
- ID Idaho
- IL Illinois
- IN Indiana
- IA Iowa
- KS Kansas
- KY Kentucky
- LA Louisiana
- ME Maine
- MD Maryland
- MA Massachusetts
- MI Michigan
- MN Minnesota
- MS Mississippi
- MO Missouri
- MT Montana
- NE Nebraska
- NV Nevada
- NH New Hampshire
- NJ New Jersey
- NM New Mexico
- NY New York
- NC North Carolina
- ND North Dakota
- OH Ohio
- OK Oklahoma
- OR Oregon
- PA Pennsylvania
- RI Rhode Island
- SC South Carolina
- SD South Dakota
- TN Tennessee
- TX Texas
- UT Utah
- VT Vermont
- VA Virginia
- WA Washington
- WV West Virginia
- WI Wisconsin
- WY Wyoming
- DC District of Columbia