TEMPLATE
California security deposit statement template
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Your California security deposit statement has 3 rules to meet. ReportDraft puts every one on your checklist and checks your draft before you sign.
- The itemized statement and refund within 21 days of move-out
- Photos and a written cost explanation with each repair or cleaning deduction
A security deposit statement template set up for California. In Word and PDF.
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California Security deposit statement Template
Landlord or property manager
Tenant names
Rental unit address
Tenant's forwarding address
Date the tenant moved out
Date of this statement
Security deposit held
Download in Word or PDFIncluded with ReportDraft Landlord and its free trial.
California rules for this report
These rules are about how and when you report, not the template's fields. Check them before you deliver.
- No later than 21 calendar days after the tenant moves out, the landlord sends an itemized statement of the deposit and its disposition and returns any remainderCalifornia Civil Code s. 1950.5 (h) (1) ยท California Courts Self-Help Guide, Guide to security deposits in California
- When the landlord deducts for repairs or cleanings, the photos are provided with a written explanation of the cost, by mail, email, flash drive or an online linkCalifornia Civil Code s. 1950.5 (h) (2) (D)
- The landlord photographs the unit within a reasonable time after it is returned, before any repairs or cleanings that will be deducted from the deposit, and again within a reasonable time after those repairs or cleanings are doneCalifornia Civil Code s. 1950.5 (g) (2)
- If the unit was clear enough at the initial inspection to identify them, deductions for repairs or cleanings are limited to the items in the itemized statement, plus anything that happens after that inspectionCalifornia Civil Code s. 1950.5 (f) (4) and (6)
- The landlord may not claim for damage or defects that existed before the tenancy, or for ordinary wear and tearCalifornia Civil Code s. 1950.5 (e) (2) (A)
- Cleaning deductions are limited to returning the unit to the level of cleanliness it had at the start of the tenancyCalifornia Civil Code s. 1950.5 (b) (3)
- Bad-faith claims or retention of the deposit can bring statutory damages of up to twice the deposit, in addition to actual damagesCalifornia Civil Code s. 1950.5 (m)
- After an initial inspection, the landlord gives the tenant an itemized statement of the repairs or cleanings proposed as deductions, including the text of paragraphs (1) to (4) of subdivision (b), or leaves it inside the unit if the tenant is not thereCalifornia Civil Code s. 1950.5 (f) (2)
What is in it
- Itemized deductionsDeduction, Why it is charged, Supported by, Amount
- Move-out conditionTwo to four sentences from the notes on the unit's condition at move-out compared with move-in, including anything noted as normal wear and tear and not charged, and photos if the notes mention them. Never state amounts.
- Refund and questionsHow the refund is paid or the balance should be paid, and where (from the notes, such as a check mailed to the forwarding address), and that the tenant may contact the landlord with questions. Never state amounts: the accounting table shows them.
Rules last reviewed October 23, 2026. Read the full California security deposit statement requirements.