CA landlord won't return deposit - 21 days passed, no itemized statement

I moved out of my San Francisco apartment on April 10th. Left it spotless, documented everything with photos and video. It's been over 21 days and my landlord hasn't returned my $2,400 deposit or sent me any itemized statement.

He's completely ghosting me. Not responding to texts, emails, or calls. What are my options here? Can I sue him?

Yeah, in CA landlords have exactly 21 days to either return the full deposit OR send an itemized statement explaining deductions. If they miss that deadline, they legally owe you the entire deposit back regardless of any damage.

You're past 21 days so he's already in violation. Document all your attempts to contact him.

California Civil Code Section 1950.5 is very tenant-friendly on this. Since your landlord missed the 21-day deadline, you can sue for:

• The full deposit amount ($2,400)
• Plus statutory damages up to 2x the deposit if the landlord acted in "bad faith" (so potentially $4,800 more)

Total exposure for the landlord: up to $7,200.

Bad faith generally means the landlord withheld it intentionally or was grossly negligent. The ghosting helps your case.

Wait, so I could potentially get $7,200? That's almost 3x my deposit. That seems like a lot.

Do I need to hire a lawyer or can I do small claims court?

Small claims is perfect for this. In California, small claims limit is $12,500 so you're well under. No lawyers allowed in small claims (except corporations must use lawyers).

Filing fee is around $30-$75 depending on the amount. You'll need to prove:

1. You paid the deposit (should be in your lease)
2. You moved out on April 10
3. More than 21 days have passed
4. No deposit or statement was received

Bring your lease, move-out photos, certified mail receipts if you sent a demand letter, and all your communication attempts.

Before you file, send one more demand letter via certified mail. Give him 10 days to return the full $2,400 or you'll file in small claims for the statutory damages.

Sometimes that's enough to scare them into paying. If not, you have proof you tried to resolve it, which looks good to the judge.

Good idea. I'll send a certified demand letter today. Should I mention the 2x penalty in the letter or just ask for the deposit back?

Absolutely mention it. Your demand letter should state:

"Under California Civil Code Section 1950.5, you were required to return my security deposit or provide an itemized statement within 21 days of my move-out date (April 10, 2025). As of today, 27 days have passed with no response.

I am entitled to the full return of my $2,400 deposit. Additionally, your failure to comply subjects you to statutory penalties of up to two times the deposit amount. If I do not receive the full $2,400 within 10 business days, I will file a claim in small claims court seeking the deposit plus the maximum statutory damages of $4,800.

This is my final notice before legal action."

Keep it professional but firm.

Update: Sent the demand letter via certified mail on May 7. He signed for it on May 9 (I checked tracking). Still radio silence.

The 10 day deadline is May 21. Looks like I'm going to small claims.

I went through this exact thing in Oakland last year. Landlord ghosted me for 30+ days. I filed in small claims, he didn't even show up to court, and I got a default judgment for the full deposit plus 2x damages.

Only problem was collecting - he still didn't pay. Had to get a writ of execution and have the sheriff levy his bank account. Took another 2 months but I eventually got every penny plus interest.

Final update: Deadline passed. Filed in SF small claims this morning for $7,200 ($2,400 deposit + $4,800 statutory damages). Filing fee was $75.

Court date is June 18. I'll let you all know how it goes. Thanks for all the advice - feeling way more confident about this now.

Did OP ever post an update on how the June court date went? I'm in almost the exact same situation in Oakland (landlord ghosted me after I moved out, 30+ days passed, no deposit or itemized statement). Trying to figure out if small claims is worth it or if I should just write off my $1,800 deposit.

Also wondering - if the landlord doesn't show up to court, does that mean automatic win for the tenant? Or do they just reschedule?

@RealEstate_Observer - don't write off your $1,800! At 30+ days past deadline, you're entitled to the full deposit PLUS up to 2x in bad faith penalties. That's potentially $5,400.

To answer your questions:

• Default judgment: Yes, if the landlord doesn't show up, you can ask the judge for a default judgment. You'll still need to present your evidence, but you'll almost certainly win.
• Is it worth it: Filing fee is ~$75. Your potential recovery is $1,800-5,400. Even if you only get the base deposit back, that's a 24x return on your filing fee. Absolutely worth it.

One tip: use the security deposit calculator to document the exact number of days past deadline. Bring that calculation to court - judges like seeing you've done the math.

Also bring: your lease, move-out photos, your forwarding address notification to landlord, and proof of all communication attempts.

Thanks @TenantLaw_Oakland! That's really helpful. I didn't realize I could get penalties on top of the deposit. Going to file next week.

Used the calculator - I'm at 38 days past the deadline. Will update the thread with how it goes.

@RealEstate_Observer - Definitely don't write off your $1,800!! I was in the same boat, landlord in Alameda kept my whole deposit claiming "cleaning fees" but never sent any itemization. I almost gave up because $1,800 seemed like not enough to bother with.

Ended up filing in small claims after reading this thread. Landlord actually showed up to court (unlike OP's landlord) but the judge absolutely tore into him for missing the 21-day deadline. Got my full deposit back PLUS the 2x penalty - walked out with a judgment for $5,400.

Small claims filing took maybe 30 minutes and cost $75. Do it!!

Just want to add something nobody mentioned - if your landlord is a property management company rather than an individual, check if they're licensed with the CA Bureau of Real Estate. You can file a complaint there too and it sometimes lights a fire under them faster than small claims.

Also wondering if anyone has tried the demand letter templates on this site? My girlfriend is dealing with a similar situation and we're trying to figure out if sending a formal letter first is worth it or if we should just go straight to small claims.

UPDATE from the original thread asker here (well not the OP but same situation): I posted about my $1,800 deposit back in December. Just wanted to report back - I won!!

Judge awarded me $5,400 total. Landlord tried to argue he sent the itemization but "it must have gotten lost in the mail" and the judge wasn't having it. Asked him for proof of mailing, he had none, case closed.

The hardest part was actually collecting - had to file for a writ of execution since he ignored the judgment. But once I did that and the sheriffs office sent him a letter, suddenly he found his checkbook. Got paid in full last week.

Total time from filing to getting paid: about 4 months. Absolutely worth it.

FINAL UPDATE from the OP! Sorry for the long silence - life got busy but I owe this thread a resolution.

I won in small claims back in June. The landlord actually showed up (unlike what I expected) but he had zero documentation. No move-out inspection report, no receipts for supposed "repairs," no proof he mailed anything. The judge awarded me the full $7,200 - deposit plus 2x bad faith damages.

Collecting was the hard part, just like @TenantRightsNow warned. He ignored the judgment for 2 months. I had to file for a writ of execution and get the sheriff involved. Once the sheriff levied his bank account, suddenly he wanted to "work something out." Too late - got the full amount plus post-judgment interest.

Total time from filing to getting paid: about 5 months. Total out-of-pocket cost: $75 filing fee + $40 for the writ. Got back $7,200 plus about $180 in interest. Best ROI of my life.

To everyone thinking about whether it's worth it: DO IT. The process was intimidating but honestly not that complicated. This thread gave me the confidence to follow through.

Great outcome, OP! Glad you came back to close the loop.

One tip for anyone reading this in 2026: California increased the small claims court limit to $12,500 for individuals (effective January 2024), so even larger deposits are covered. And there's been talk in the legislature about increasing the bad faith penalty multiplier from 2x to 3x for repeat offender landlords, though that hasn't passed yet.

Also worth noting that several California cities - including LA, SF, Oakland, and San Jose - have their own tenant protection ordinances that may provide ADDITIONAL remedies beyond state law. For example, SF's Rent Ordinance has its own penalty provisions for security deposit violations. So check your local rules too, not just state code.

The 21-day deadline under Civil Code 1950.5 is absolute. Courts don't give landlords wiggle room on this, especially when they can't prove they mailed anything. Keep documenting and keep filing - it works.