Security deposit refund
Some states and cities require a landlord to pay interest on a held deposit (for example New York for buildings with six or more units, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Maryland) — check your own jurisdiction and lease. Leave the rate blank if none applies; if one does, enter the rate it sets and this adds the accrued interest to the refund.
Itemized deductions
Enter the deposit amount, add each deduction, and click Calculate refund.
Deposit settlement
| Line item | Amount |
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Copies the deposit, each named deduction, the total, and the refund or balance as plain text to paste into an email or a dispute. The “arithmetic only, not a legal determination” note is copied with it.
Prorated rent
Enter monthly rent, days in the month, and days occupied, then click Calculate.
Prorated rent result
What this does and doesn't do
Both calculators total the numbers you enter — a deposit amount and a list of deductions, or a monthly rent and a day count. Neither one knows your state's itemized-statement deadline, deposit limit, interest rules, or what specifically counts as normal wear and tear versus damage in your jurisdiction. Treat the output as the arithmetic behind your own itemization or dispute, not a legal determination.
Already using a property-management platform like TurboTenant for listings and rent collection? See how this differs for the one-off arithmetic of settling a single deposit or prorating a single partial month.
Tracking the deduction in a spreadsheet instead? See this calculator vs. a spreadsheet for what a plain subtraction misses — an unlabeled deduction, a prorated-interest formula, and a copy-ready statement that can't drift from the numbers on screen.
Common questions
How do you calculate a security deposit refund?
Add up every itemized deduction (unpaid rent, cleaning, repairs, or other charges) and subtract the total from the deposit amount. If the deductions are less than the deposit, the difference is the refund due. If deductions exceed the deposit, the difference is a balance owed instead.
What is prorated rent and how is it calculated?
Prorated rent covers a partial month, usually the first or last month of a lease. It is calculated as a daily rate (monthly rent divided by the number of days in that month) multiplied by the number of days actually occupied.
Can a landlord deduct for normal wear and tear?
Most landlord-tenant frameworks distinguish normal wear and tear (ordinary aging from everyday use, generally not deductible) from actual damage beyond normal use (generally deductible) — but the exact definition, itemization deadline, and any deposit limits vary by state and by the lease itself. Check your local law and lease before finalizing a number.
Does this calculator include interest on the deposit?
Only if you enter a rate. Some states and cities require a landlord to pay interest on a held deposit (for example New York for buildings with six or more units, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Maryland), at a rate the jurisdiction sets and that changes over time. This calculator does not know whether your jurisdiction requires it or what the current rate is — enter the rate that applies to you and how many days the deposit was held, and it adds the accrued interest to the refund. Leave the rate blank if none applies.
Can I copy the itemization out to send to the other party?
Yes. After you calculate the refund, “Copy itemized statement” puts the deposit, every named deduction and its amount, the total, and the refund or balance owed on your clipboard as plain text — ready to paste into an email, a letter, or a message. It is the same arithmetic shown on this page, so the copy can never disagree with the table. The note saying this is arithmetic and not a legal determination of what may be deducted is copied along with it, because the person receiving the statement never sees this page. If your browser blocks clipboard access, the statement appears in a text box you can select and copy instead.
Is this legal advice?
No. This calculator only totals the numbers you enter — it does not determine what is legally deductible, does not know your state's rules or deadlines, and is not a substitute for reviewing your lease or consulting a qualified professional.