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🛡️ CALIFORNIA CIVIL CODE § CA Deposit Law & AB 2801 · 21-DAY DEADLINE

California Security Deposit Photo & Itemized Statement Studio

California Civil Code § CA Deposit Law (as amended by AB 2801) requires landlords to attach timestamped Move-In, Pre-Repair Move-Out, and Post-Repair photographs plus invoices for deductions ≥$125 within 21 calendar days. Build your court-ready exhibit locally in seconds.

STEP 3 — PHOTO REPORT & ITEMIZED LETTER

3. Move-In / Move-Out Photo Stamper & Itemized Notice

Stamp your Move-In, Pre-Repair, and Post-Repair photos and generate an itemized disposition letter in seconds.

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Itemized Deduction Statement & $125 Receipt Audit

Room / Area Itemized Repair / Prorated Depreciation Description Gross Vendor Cost Prorated Tenant Charge Statutory Evidence Rule Action
Total Lawful Security Deposit Deductions: $940.00 Synced with 50-State Calculator

Live Itemized Disposition Letter Preview

STEP 1 — RETURN DEADLINE & REFUND CALCULATOR

1. Check Your Security Deposit Return Deadline & Refund

Pick your state, move-out date, and deposit amount to see your exact return deadline and penalty risk.

STEP 2 — WEAR & TEAR PRORATION

2. Carpet, Paint & Appliance Proration Calculator

Enter the replacement cost and item age to calculate the fair prorated deduction based on remaining useful life.

Jump to Move-In / Move-Out Photo Studio ↓
Statement Ready: Your state statutory deadline and prorated deductions are automatically synced to your legal notice below.
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Removes all preview watermarks from the 3-Stage AB 2801 Photo Evidence Canvas, unlocks unlimited court-ready Statutory Disposition PDF packets across all 50 US states, and includes the downloadable Landlord Turnover Compliance Kit.

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Statutory Compliance FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions — Security Deposit Deductions

What are the mandatory California AB 2801 (Civil Code § CA Deposit Law) photo rules for landlords in 2026?

Under California AB 2801 amending Civil Code § CA Deposit Law, landlords must take timestamped photographs at three stages to make any security deposit deduction for repairs or cleaning: (1) at Move-In before or at the inception of the tenancy, (2) at Move-Out prior to any repairs or cleanings being performed, and (3) after repairs or cleanings are completed. These photos, along with an itemized statement and receipts for deductions of $125 or more, must be delivered within 21 calendar days of the tenant vacating.

How do courts calculate prorated useful-life depreciation for rental carpet and interior paint?

Landlords cannot charge a tenant 100% of the replacement cost for an aged building item; they may only deduct the remaining useful life (Replacement Cost × [Remaining Months / Standard Useful Life Months]). Standard court and HUD benchmarks are 60 months (5 years) for plush rental carpet, 36 months (3 years) for flat interior paint and window blinds, and 120 months (10 years) for appliances and LVP flooring.

What happens if a landlord misses the statutory security deposit return deadline?

Missing the statutory deadline (e.g., 14 days in NY/AZ/HI/VT, 21 days in CA/MN/WI/CT, 30 days in TX/FL/CO/MA/IL) typically forfeits the landlord's legal right to withhold any portion of the deposit and exposes the landlord to statutory bad-faith penalties of 2x to 3x the deposit amount plus the tenant's attorney's fees.

Are my property inspection photos or tenant names uploaded to any external server?

No. DepositShield runs 100% client-side inside your web browser using local HTML5 Canvas and JavaScript. Zero photos, tenant names, or property addresses are ever uploaded to external servers.